Thickening electrodes is one effective approach to increase active material content for higher energy and low‐cost lithium‐ion batteries, but limits in charge transport and huge mechanical stress generation result in poor performance and eventual cell failure. This paper reports a new electrode fabrication process, referred to as µ‐casting, enabling ultrathick electrodes that address the trade‐off between specific capacity and areal/volumetric capacity. The proposed µ‐casting is based on a patterned blade, enabling facile fabrication of 3D electrode structures. The study reveals the governing properties of µ‐casted ultrathick electrodes and how this simultaneously improves battery energy/power performance. The process facilitates a short diffusion path structure that minimizes intercalation‐induced stress, improving energy density and cell stability. This work also investigates the issues with structural integrity, porosity, and paste rheology, and also analyzes mechanical properties due to external force. The µ‐casting enables an ultrathick electrode (≈280 µm) that more effectively utilizes NMC‐811 (LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2) cathode and mesocarbon microbeads anode active materials compared to conventional thick electrodes, allowing high‐mass loading (35.7 mg cm−2), 40% higher specific capacity, and 30% higher areal capacity after 200 cycles, high C‐rate performance, and longer cycle life.
Natural fiber (such as flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, etc.) reinforced polymer resin composites are biodegradable composites as they are using fibers from renewable sources. It is also better than synthetic fibers (such as glass, carbon, ceramic fibers, etc.) in a sense of environmental cause. In this research work, jute fiber reinforced polypropylene matrix composites have been developed using hot compression molding technique. Various process parameters are used such as fiber condition (untreated and alkali treated), fiber sizes (1, 2 and 4 mm) and percentages (5%, 10% and 15% by weight) in this research work. Tensile test and optical microscopy are used for characterization. Effect of tensile strength has a linear relation with fiber size and fiber percentage but after a certain size and percentage, the tensile strength shows an inverse relation with the fiber length and fiber percentage. There is no significant change has been observed for treated and untreated jute fiber reinforcement.
To withstand the rising demand for energy while fuel and chemical energy are becoming rare, the development in the production of solar energy has become a necessity. There is a variety of solar cells; among them, thin-film photovoltaics is more popular because of low-cost production and good-efficiency. Nowadays, copper oxide has become popular to make thin film layers like CZTS, CIGS, etc. Unfortunately, the efficiency of these thin films is less than 20%. In order to obtain better efficacy, an investigation of the layers of thin films is needed. This research discussed the properties of copper and its oxides. In case of making the thin film layers, potentiostat electro-deposition was the chosen method where bath composition of CuSO4.5H2O solution, temperature, time, potential difference were the variable parameters. The best-deposited layers were obtained in 0.2 M concentration, 40 minutes, -0.5 V potential difference and 65oC. Hence, physical properties like thickness and hardness, and characterisation properties like X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis spectrometry are observed to compare cupric oxide (CuO) and cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films. CuO thin film shows better stability and rigidity than the Cu2O thin film. But the thin film layer of cuprous oxide illustrates good homogeneity and nodular form. From the test mentioned above data, band gap has been measured for each deposited film, and the CuO thin film layer is raked out having a better band energy gap than the Cu2O thin film layer.
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