Extending battery life, improving operating safety

Microscopic yet mighty, the particles within lithium-ion batteries that contain critical minerals determine how much energy batteries can store, how fast they charge, and for how many years they can power your device. Over time, chemical reactions crack the surface of these particles. Those cracks interfere with current flow, leaving us with a dead battery and critical minerals buried alive.

To build a domestic, circular supply chain for batteries, Reeja Jayan has developed a low-cost, activated nano polymer layer that extends battery life cycle by 10x, reduces charging time, and improves operating safety.

“Instead of mining entire ecosystems out of existence to collect very limited minerals, we need to focus on innovations that lead to cost-effective, scalable solutions that prolong battery life and reduce waste,” said Jayan, a professor of mechanical engineering.

For the last 10 years, Jayan’s team has fine-tuned a method to maximize battery capacity without reducing the battery life. Using chemical vapor deposition, a materials processing technique widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, the team can encapsulate the battery’s critical mineral particles with a conducting polymer material that “seals” cracks and maintains current flow. The material must be applied while the battery is being manufactured.

“We’ve reimagined a decades-old process to precision engineer coatings that protect and extend the life of critical battery materials,” said Jayan. “We see this as a foundational step towards building a domestic and circular battery economy—where performance and sustainability go hand in hand.”

Beyond protecting the minerals inside, the activated polymer layer also acts as an alarm within the battery that can trigger a change in chemical behavior to prevent fire. We can think of this response as similar to the way a phone shuts itself off to prevent overheating.

We’ve reimagined a decades-old process to precision engineer coatings that protect and extend the life of critical battery materials.

Reeja Jayan, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Jayan is working to make this technology commercially available through her company SeaLion Energy, which recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects-Energy (ARPA-E) as part of a national effort to extend battery life and facilitate repair and reuse to reduce waste for broad potential applications—from electric vehicles and grid storage to data centers and specialty electronics.

The team is also exploring ways to adapt the technology for use in other fields. So far, they have seen success in sensors and air quality monitors.

“Breakthroughs of this nature are made possible by the uniquely collaborative environment at Carnegie Mellon,” she said. “The success of this project reflects the integration of expertise across chemical, mechanical, and materials engineering.”