Study level

  • Vacation research experience scheme

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

School of Chemistry and Physics

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Materials Science

Centre for Clean Energy Technologies and Practices

Supervisors

Associate Professor Maggie Gulbinska
Position
Division / Faculty
Dr Michael Horn
Position
Research Associate
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science
Associate Professor Joshua Watts
Position
Principal Research Fellow in Battery Systems
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science

Overview

Calendering is the process of compressing and smoothing out a material by passing it between two rollers. This is a critical step of manufacturing thin films for energy storage and other applications, but one that can often be overlooked at a research level.

This project will investigate the effect of calandering on electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The aim is to find the optimum amount calendaring for maximum film quality and performance.

Research activities

The activities a VRES student could be involved with include:

  • assisting in manufacturing anode and/or cathode films.
  • gathering quantitative and qualitative data such as:
    • calendering settings
    • film thicknesses
    • scanning electron microscope (SEM) images
    • conductivity readings
    • cell performance data.
  • collating and analysing data to propose appropriate models for optimising calendaring settings.

Outcomes

The aim is to find the optimum amount calendaring for maximum film quality and performance.

There are a range of variables in producing electrodes which may be selected based on the desired characteristics of a battery cell. Therefore it is reasonable that optimal calendering settings are a function of multiple parameters, such as electrode type, desired cell power, cell energy, and cell life.

The ultimate long-term goal of this research is to gain knowledge of what the optimum calendering settings are over a range of targeted electrode configurations.

Skills and experience

A suitable student must possess:

  • a strong sense of safety consciousness in an industrial lab environment
  • an interest in energy storage challenges
  • data recording and analysis skills
  • a background in physics, chemistry, or engineering.

Desirable skills and attributes include:

  • knowledge of battery electrochemistry and
  • cell construction
  • interest in process engineering
  • (computational) modelling skills
  • a curious attitude.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

Explore our research scholarships

Keywords

Contact

Contact Dr Michael Horn for more information.