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Exploring the Capabilities of Electrospinning

Nature is full of fibrous structures, such as wool, silk, and spider webs from the animal world and cotton, linen, and bamboo from the plant world. These fibrous materials perform special functions not available from bulk materials. If the diameter of the fibers is in the tens or hundreds of nanometers, we enter the world of nanofibers. Nanofibers, whether natural or synthetic, belong to nanomaterials and possess new material properties and functions due to the unique shape and size of the fibers and the myriad of ways these fibers are assembled. Some advantages of nanofibers are a high surface area (1 – 100 m2/g), high porosity (ca 90%), small diameter (10 nm – 1 mm), and a small, interconnected pore size. These unique features make nanofibers useful in numerous diverse application areas, such as filtration, catalyst, sensor, tissue engineering, and energy storage. Several methods are used to make nanofibers: template, self-assemble, phase-separation, melt-blowing, and electrospinning. Among these, electrospinning is deemed the most promising due to its ability to produce continuous nanofibers on a large scale and adjustable fiber structures from a variety of electrospinnable polymers. Read more

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NEI Introduces Custom-Produced Solid Electrolyte Materials

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June 17, 2015

Somerset, New Jersey (USA) – NEI Corporation, a leading developer and manufacturer of specialty cathode, anode, and electrolyte materials for Lithium-ion batteries, has announced an expansion of its services for producing Custom Solid Electrolyte Materials. Most commercial Lithium-ion batteries usually contain an electrolyte that is dissolved in flammable solvents. The use of a solid electrolyte eliminates the flammability issue associated with currently used liquid electrolytes. Customers can now purchase solid electrolyte materials with the composition of their choice. Whether it is an oxide material (e.g., LATP, LLTO, LNBO or any other mixed metal oxide) or a sulfide material (e.g., LPS, LSPS, or composites of sulfide containing compounds), NEI can produce powders anywhere in the range of small lot quantities to multiple kilograms. Additionally, the primary particle size can be reduced further into the ultrafine or nanoscale regime, if needed.

NEI has also developed processes to combine cathode particles and solid electrolyte materials. For example, in a composite morphology, the cathode and solid electrolyte particles are in intimate contact with each other and evenly distributed throughout the material. Customers can specify the cathode and solid electrolyte compositions of interest, and NEI can custom produce powders with the composite morphology. Similarly, the solid electrolyte material can be deposited as a conformal film on cathode particles. Ionic conductivity measurements indicate that the ionic conductivity of the pristine solid electrolyte is largely preserved when it is combined with the cathode materials (the ionic conductivity of pristine solid electrolyte is 8 x 10-4 S/cm, whereas the ionic conductivity of solid electrolyte combined with a cathode is 5 x 10-4 S/cm). Finally, the composite material can be mixed with an ionically conducting binder and cast as a dense film. By making solid state electrolyte materials available in a more useable form, it is our intent to make it easy for Li-ion battery researchers to develop the next generation all-solid-state Li-ion batteries.

NEI Custom Solid ElectrolytesNEI’s Custom Solid Electrolyte Materials services build upon NEI’s patent-pending, ready-to-cast, solid electrolyte materials. Over the past year, NEI has supplied multi-kilogram quantities of their newly developed solid electrolyte powder, NANOMYTE® SSE-10 (Li10SnP2S12 or LSPS). NANOMYTE® SSE-10, which has been used by a number of scientists and engineers for developing and prototyping “all solid” Lithium batteries, has also been made available in the form of a slurry (dispersion), NANOMYTE® SSE-10D, which can be cast into flexible tapes. SSE-10D is composed of surface-modified LSPS particles dispersed in organic solvent, which can be removed after the tape or film is formed.

CSE_Fig4Post Process Solid Electrolyte and Composite Powder into a Slurry and Tape

NEI Corporation has been a long trusted source for customized cathode and anode materials used in lithium batteries. The company specializes in developing new compositions and particle morphologies, including nanoscale particle engineering. NEI also has an extensive battery research and characterization facility, which includes multi-channel cell testers. The introduction of NEI’s service for custom produced solid electrolytes will provide new capabilities to lithium battery developers and manufacturers to enable practical solid state batteries.

For more information, see our slideshow on Custom Produced Solid Electrolytes »

About NEI Corporation:

NEI Corporation is an application driven company that utilizes nanotechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. The company’s core competencies are in synthesizing nanoscale materials and prototyping products that incorporate the advanced materials. NEI Corporation offers cathode and anode materials (both powders and coated electrodes), and solid state electrolytes for use in lithium-ion batteries. The company produces battery materials through a scalable and economical synthesis process, which is adaptable to different materials compositions and particle morphologies.

For more information, contact:
Ms. Krista Martin
+1 (732) 868‐3141
sales@neicorporation.com
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View / Download Press Release (pdf)

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Advanced Prototyping Service for Complex Electrospun Fibers Offered by NEI Corporation

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January 6, 2015

Somerset, New Jersey (USA): NEI Corporation announced today an expansion of its service for producing nanoscale and microscale fibers through electrospinning. Electrospinning is a technique to form fibers by the use of a voltage potential, drawing material out into a thin diameter and collecting it on a grounded platform. The electrospinning equipment at NEI allows for large areas of fiber mats – upwards of one square foot. Combined with a variety of characterization and testing equipment already available in-house, this can accelerate development of the customer’s technology into commercial materials. Electrospinning offers a commercially viable method for rapid prototyping of fibrous materials.

Silicone fiber fabricated using core-shell electrospinning technology developed at NEI: Project funded by a Fortune 50 Company. Inset: schematic of the etching process to yield silicone fibers.

Silicone fiber fabricated using core-shell electrospinning technology developed at NEI: Project funded by a Fortune 50 Company. Inset: schematic of the etching process to yield silicone fibers.

Newly offered through NEI’s capabilities are two approaches which can be utilized for novel fiber production:

  1. Multi-scale fibers which can range from a few hundred nanometers up to tens of micrometer.
  2. Core-shell fibers which contain a different material for the wall of the fibers and another for the core.

NEI’s capabilities in electrospinning also include the ability to fabricate an assortment of different fibers, such as polymeric, ceramic, or metallic materials. Additionally, as part of expanding the scope of recent advancements in electrospinning, NEI can create tailored core-sheath fibers for production of composite fibers.

NEI can also assist the customer in identifying the special attributes of electrospun fibers and how to benefit from them. NEI has worked with other companies to elevate the technology readiness levels of new technologies and can provide direction in advancing fiber production as per the needs of the application. Characterization and tests can be carried out under applicable industry standards, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Given NEI’s vast experience in nanotechnology and materials synthesis, its electrospinning service enables the company to share its knowledge with customers through fabrication, testing, and analysis of its customer’s technologies with NEI’s state of the art equipment.

For more information on NEI’s electrospinning service, view the brochure.

About NEI Corporation:

Founded in 1997, NEI Corporation develops, manufactures, and distributes nanoscale materials for a broad range of industrial customers around the world. NEI’s products incorporate proprietary nanotechnology and advanced materials science to create significant performance improvements in manufactured goods. NEI’s products include advanced protective coatings, high performance battery electrode materials, and specialty nanoscale materials for diverse applications. NEI has created a strong foundation in the emerging field of nanotechnology that has enabled the company to become a leader in selected markets.

For more information, contact:

Ms. Krista Martin
(732) 868‐3141
sales@neicorporation.com
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