The RENEWBAT project, entitled “Recerca d’elèctrodes reciclats dopats amb MOFs conductors i capes primes d’òxid metàl·lic per a bateries sostenibles d’ió-Liti”, has officially started. The project’s primary goal is to improve the electrochemical performance and cycle stability of recycled and degraded electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. By integrating porous and conductive organometallic frames (c-MOFs) and coating thin layers of metal oxide on electrodes, RENEWBAT will not only contribute to the advancement of sustainable solutions, but it will also promote the reduction of raw material dependence on lithium-ion batteries.  

The project consortium comprises two key entities: TTC (Comercial de Tratamientos Térmicos), a company with extensive experience in the thermal and surface treatment of parts, components and tools for different sectors of the aeronautical and automotive industry, and IREC, a TECNIO-certified centre with an extensive experience in the synthesis of materials and components,  as well as the management of electrodes and coatings to evaluate and build prototypes of batteries and supercapacitors.

This collaboration with IREC allows TTC to adapt to emerging technological innovations for use in large-scale industrial applications. In this specific case, it will facilitate the development and scaling of nanometric thin layers of different conductive oxides and will enable the opening of TTC to a new market sector. This will position it as one of the leading companies in coating technologies in our country.

RENEWBAT is a project funded by ACCIÓ with a total budget of more than 316,5K€ and will run for 2 years, starting this month.

On the one hand, the role of IREC in this project is focused on the development of reference samples for next-generation batteries and their characterization, as well as the electrochemical tests. Additionally, IREC will support TTC in the electrode design tasks for the deposition of thin layers and the validation of the final structure and scaling. Jordi Jacas from the Energy Storage, Harvesting and Catalysis Department of IREC will lead these actions. On the other hand, TTC will focus on the development and characterization of coatings of different metal oxides obtained by deposition techniques based on PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), with the aim of scaling up their applicability at an industrial level.  TTC will have the support of the Eurecat Technology Center, as a subcontracted entity, for the development, on a laboratory scale, of the metal oxide coatings contemplated in the project.

Acknowledgements (in Catalan)

Amb el suport d’ACCIÓ.