an innovative project on next-generation batteries that could promote diversification in the ceramics industry and benefit companies involved in energy storage (IMAGE)
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The Universitat Jaume I of Castelló launched in September a leading project on advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries based on the innovative “Polymer-in-Ceramic” concept, a hybrid of both materials with high rigidity and strength, either compact or porous and machinable. This will allow the ceramics industry to explore new avenues for diversification with added-value products and will promote the transfer of knowledge to the emerging regional energy storage industry.
The study,“Future advanced 3D printing of polymer-in-ceramic solid electrolytes for all-solid-state metal batteries (PICASSO)”, which will be developed over four years and has received over half a million euros from the Prometeo 2025 call for excellence research groups–CIPROM 2024, will be coordinated by full professors Antonio Barba Juan (Research Unit “Innovative Ceramic Materials for Energetic Applications”, Department of Chemical Engineering) and Germà García Belmonte (Electrocatalysis and Energy Group, Institute of Advanced Materials –INAM), in collaboration with the Electricity, Electronics and Automation Group (EEA).
The research team will develop advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries using state-of-the-art additive manufacturing techniques, such as ultraviolet stereolithography, aimed at producing these composite materials, a mixture of ceramic materials and photopolymers. This approach will allow precise control of the composite’s internal microstructure to maximize lithium-ion diffusion, reduce unwanted electronic conductivity, and minimize interfacial resistance with the electrodes, enhancing battery efficiency and lifespan.
In a second phase, the PICASSO project will implement a rigorous battery testing and characterization protocol, evaluating electrical and operational parameters throughout the full service life using techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and computer simulations. The goal is to obtain comprehensive diagnostics that lay the groundwork for future industrial transfer of these devices.
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Universitat Jaume I of Castellón
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