NANOFIBERS FOR ENERGY APPLICATIONS
Where can nanofibers be used in energy applications?
Nanofibers have been a source of interest in the research space for energy and power applications. This is because of their compelling properties and the increasing demand for more efficient energy systems. The incentive of energy and nanofiber related research has increased in recent years due to the advancing progress of electrospinning and the possibility of fabricating environmentally friendly energy products. Nanofibers and nanoparticles are considered to be promising materials for energy related devices. Below are some examples where nanomaterials such as Electrospun fibers and Electrosprayed particles could be used.
Solar cells
Nanogenerators
Li-Batteries
Fuel Cells
Super-Capacitors
Advantages of Nanofibers in Energy applications
Large surface area to volume ratio enable a high number of contact points for sunlight for increased efficiency as well as flexibility and reduced costs due to the ease of producing nanofiber scaffolds. In case of synthesizing nanogenerators, certain piezo-electric polymers like PVDF can be used. PVDF layers could be electrospray-coated with gold nanoparticles to increase the conductivity the overall material and improve performance.
Another major energy-related application is engineering nanofibers for batteries. Nanofibers are suitable candidates for the materials used to design batteries. The network of nanofibers that are formed via electrospinning are conducive to ion transport, so a flow of charge is feasible with nanofiber media. Furthermore, nanofibers having a high degree of porosity, small diameters and large surface area allows an increase in charge and discharge rate, resulting in better storage capacity and stability of the battery. Research has been conducted in the past for use of nanofiber scaffolds as both anode/cathode materials and battery separator media for Li-based batteries. The electrode materials of a battery can be composed of post-treated electrospun nanofibers that are often carbonized. With the versatility of electrospinning, polymers can be blended with additional materials such as tin oxide particles to improve ionic conductivity of the material. In comparison to this nanofiber media can even be adapted to act as a barrier in the form of a separator between electrodes. With electrospinning, nanofibers can be adjusted to have small and uniform pore size and high porosity to prevent direct contact of opposite electrodes but still create a channel for Li+ ions.
What do we offer?
Not only does Inovenso provide the industrial machinery suitable for the production of nanofiber-based Energy materials, but we also bring forth the full A to Z package needed to initiate a plug & play production.
The polymeric nanofibrous materials that are commonly investigated for the above-mentioned applications are normally PVDF, PAN, and PMMA, and PEG. All of which our R&D team are familiar with and have worked with these polymers extensively. In addition to this, our personnel have prior experience with research and development pertaining to nanofiber materials for energy and battery related applications. As such our team is capable of executing R&D services in the form of proof of concept and even product development. For ready-made products we can scale it up and offer contract manufacturing
Even beyond these examples exist advanced research based on electrospun nanofibers for energy applications, such as fuel cells and supercapacitors. It is clearly evident that this is a substantial topic in the material science field that will continue to grow.
Thanks to the extensive knowledge and expertise of our R&D team, we are able to support our clients and partners with R&D services tailored to their needs. Services start with identifying the right materials and ingredients required for the development of their desired products with respect to their required properties. Furthermore, within the scope of our package we also provide tech transfer services that convey results stemming from our scientific and technological research to the market place, along with associated skills and procedures, with respect to Intellectual Property Management.
Apart from R&D services, if the product has already been made either by us or independently by you, we can provide contract manufacturing services where we mass produce your nanofiber product up to a commercialized scale. Our facility consists of industrial level electrospinning machines that are catered towards customer demands of units per month.