title: Advanced Na-NiCl2Battery Using Nickel-Coated Graphite with Core-Shell Microarchitecture.
abstract: Stationary electric energy storage devices (rechargeable batteries) have gained increasing prominence due to great market needs, such as smoothing the fluctuation of renewable energy resources and supporting the reliability of the electric grid. With regard to raw materials availability, sodium-based batteries are better positioned than lithium batteries due to the abundant resource of sodium in Earth's crust. However, the sodium-nickel chloride (Na-NiCl2) battery, one of the most attractive stationary battery technologies, is hindered from further market penetration by its high material cost (Ni cost) and fast material degradation at its high operating temperature. Here, we demonstrate the design of a core-shell microarchitecture, nickel-coated graphite, with a graphite core to maintain electrochemically active surface area and structural integrity of the electron percolation pathway while using 40% less Ni than conventional Na-NiCl2batteries. An initial energy density of 133 Wh/kg (at ∼C/4) and energy efficiency of 94% are achieved at an intermediate temperature of 190 °C.
authors.affiliation: Stationary Energy Storage Group, Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.
authors.forename: Hee-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Stationary Energy Storage Group, Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.
authors.forename: Nathan L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Canfield
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Division, Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) , Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Keeyoung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Stationary Energy Storage Group, Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.
authors.forename: Vincent L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Sprenkle
authors.affiliation: Stationary Energy Storage Group, Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5193-5488
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Ni; ZEBRA battery; core−shell; sodium metal halide battery; stationary energy storage