Research Associate in Powder Mixing and Flow Generation Dry Processing

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An exciting opportunity exists within the battery manufacturing research group at the University of Sheffield. The post holder will work on the Next Generation Electrodes (Nextrode) research grant, funded by the Faraday Institution (FI). The project brings together expertise in the manufacturing of lithium ion electrodes from excellent Universities across the UK (Oxford, Birmingham, Warwick, Southampton and University College London). The Faraday Institution vision is to bring together scientists and industry partners on research projects to reduce battery cost, weight, and volume, and to improve performance and reliability ().

As Research Associate you will conduct research that will focus on the design and development of new ways to process dry powdered lithium-ion battery electrode formulations with suitable properties for downstream dry battery electrode (DBE) process. This will require the understanding of how to formulate a multiphase powder mixture (containing active, binder and conductive additive) then to imagine new ways to form powder into thick films with controlled porosity, conductivity and adhesion without the use of a solvent, slurry or paste.

The electrochemical performance of the electrode will match or exceed the existing state‑of‑the‑art. Conversion from wet mixing to dry mixing is, unfortunately, not as simple as removing the solvent. Fundamental scientific understanding of how particles can be dry mixed, agglomerated and then survive and flow during deposition is crucial to enable and scale dry processes. Scaling up lab mixing and high‑speed coating also need mechanistic understanding.

You will collaborate with members of the research group, within the Department, the University and across the Nextrode consortium, including both academic and industrial partners. You will also play a leadership role within the research group, and will assist in day to day supervision of postgraduate research students.

• Develop the relationships between process variables, polymer addition and measured carbon coating, based on theoretical understanding and experiment.
• Formulation of a conceptual map relating quantitative measures of powder flow, carbon/conduction networks and additive structure of powders to be used in dry electrodes.
• The development, investigation and optimization of dry, solvent‑free manufacturing processes for the fabrication of electrodes and devices for electrochemical energy storage.
• Structural characterisation of particulate materials and electrodes, with a focus on powder properties using techniques such as powder rheometry, porosimetry, pycnometry and other related techniques.
• Close collaboration with team members in Sheffield and at other partners, including the sharing of progress and data, pooling of ideas, helping and assisting one another, preparation of joint papers and presentations, etc.
• Preparation of high quality research papers in English for the international scientific literature and conferences; the preparation and delivery of presentations to the project team; the recording of progress in a lab‑book in English according to standard laboratory practice, the identification and recording of new intellectual property according to University practices.
• A proactive and action‑oriented approach to health and safety that contributes to a continuously improving research environment.
• Assisting with training and supervision of doctoral students.
• Engage in training and continuous professional development.
• Travel (where possible) to present results and communicate with stakeholders at relevant meetings and conferences.
• If required, supporting the Head of Department in the provision of teaching for the Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree students. This may include, but is not restricted to, the delivery of lectures, practical demonstrating, tutorials, classes, and/or workshops and any associated responsibilities or administrative tasks (including the setting of examination questions).…