ORANGEES: Towards more sustainable batteries and supercapacitors
The Orangees project focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and validation of innovative, eco-sustainable, and low-cost materials for application in electrochemical energy storage (SAE) systems such as batteries and supercapacitors. It involves leading Italian research institutions such as CNR, ENEA, RSE, IIT, and INSTM, as well as Standex, a leading company specializing in surface texturing at the micro- and nanoscale, to develop functional solutions for SAE components.
Through scouting and experimentation, the project aims to identify new materials for SAEs, reducing the use of inorganic components and improving environmental sustainability. The project’s various work packages focus on experimental studies, combinations of organic and inorganic compounds, replacement of traditional materials with more eco-sustainable solutions, and reuse of waste to create “green” solutions. To learn more about the Orangees project, we interviewed Dr. Alessandra Di Blasi, a researcher at the CNR (National Research Council).
1. What is the main objective of this research project on innovative materials for electrochemical storage systems?
The project’s primary objective is to lay the foundation for identifying increasingly sustainable and potentially higher-performance materials capable of replacing the components currently commonly used in commercial batteries. The goal is therefore to seek alternatives to materials made from elements defined as “critical” (Critical Raw Materials, CRM) due to their limited presence in nature and their insufficient recovery for subsequent reuse. The project looks to the long term, contributing to the ambitious 2050 decarbonization goals, focusing on the study of materials that have not yet been explored or explored for this specific application, which are low-cost and readily available in nature—that is, materials that could represent a future resource for the country.
2. Who are the partners involved in this project and what is their specific role?
The partners involved are leading Italian research institutions, including: CNR (project leader), RSE, ENEA, IIT, INSTM, which includes leading Italian universities in the electrochemical sector, and STANDEX International srl, a leading company in industrial texturing. The research institutions’ role is focused on the synthesis and characterization of alternative materials, both hybrid (inorganic/organic) and purely organic, derived from biomass and/or industrial waste. The company’s role is focused on developing functional texturing methods for optimizing the current collector, a key component found in all the storage technologies being studied. Therefore, its role will span various lines of business and/or technologies, offering potential alternative solutions to those currently used in the industry. Interaction between research and business is crucial to converge on a common goal: to contribute to the launch of a new, as yet non-existent market based on what will be the fully organic battery of the future.
3. How does the project foster innovation and potential new businesses in the electrochemical storage systems sector?
The innovative component is very high and is the very expression of the requirements of CALL-A, whose TRL, or the level of technological readiness to be achieved through the project proposal, is set at TRL=3, which on a scale of 1 to 9 means starting from fundamental principles and progressing to an experimental proof-of-concept. Therefore, like all innovations, it will contribute to opening new avenues in many sectors, such as manufacturing, helping to foster the emergence of new professional roles and therefore new jobs along the entire battery value chain. We are at the beginning of a long, yet essential, journey aimed at opening new markets that are alternatives to those currently present.
4. What types of materials are studied within this project and what are their distinctive characteristics?
Through a comprehensive and complementary approach, the scientific activity focuses on the identification, synthesis, and testing of increasingly sustainable materials with both a hybrid nature, consisting of an inorganic and organic matrix such as Metallic Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and a purely organic nature, such as electrodes based on alkaline salts derived from terephthalic acids, as well as binders for the production of electrodes based on polysaccharides and seed extracts, etc. Organic materials from processing waste, such as wastewater from the dairy and silk industries, and from waste such as biomass, plastic bottles, etc., will also be studied. To date, hybrid materials are certainly capable of offering greater reliability in terms of electrochemical performance precisely because they consist of a metallic component, which is essential for cell performance. The goal, however, is to progressively reduce this component in favor of the organic one, which has a lower cost and lower environmental impact. Therefore, the goal is to identify materials capable of guaranteeing high sustainability standards while ensuring competitive performance with respect to the needs of a constantly growing and evolving market.
5. How are materials evaluated for both electrochemical performance and environmental sustainability?
The materials are evaluated through chemical-physical characterization analyses such as RAMAN, XRD, SEM, IR, etc., necessary to determine the “quality” of the desired material; these analyses are therefore preparatory to subsequent half-cell tests, which are essential for confirming their electrochemical performance. The latter is determined through tests based on cyclic voltammetry techniques, charge/discharge cycles at different operating conditions (C-rate, T, etc.). In parallel, the project also includes support activities for the experimental ones, which are configured as transversal to all lines of activity; these include life cycle analysis (LCA) studies capable of providing an estimate of the degree of reduction in the environmental impact of the various solutions proposed in the project, and theoretical simulation/modeling studies aimed at supporting the design of some of the materials under study, helping to interpret their experimental behavior. All this will help us make more informed and sustainable choices right from the battery design stage, moving towards solutions with lower environmental, economic, and social impact in a circular economy perspective.
6. What are the potential economic and social implications of introducing eco-sustainable materials into electrochemical storage systems?
The events of recent years and their resulting impact on the national energy system have highlighted the serious economic and social consequences of energy dependence on geopolitically unstable countries. Europe’s response has resulted in immediate action, offering alternatives to fossil fuels, to ensure we no longer experience “energy dependency” dictated by the exclusive monopoly of a few countries. The repercussions of this dependency are reflected, directly and indirectly, in the indiscriminate increase in costs, from utility bills to basic necessities. Identifying new materials and technological solutions that can serve as the new “fuel” to support the country’s autonomy means breaking free from monopoly conditions, even those existing in states currently considered allies.
7. How is the issue of durability and stability of materials addressed over time, considering the importance of the longevity of electrochemical storage systems?
This project aims to explore cutting-edge materials, deemed potentially valuable in terms of environmental, economic, and performance sustainability. Therefore, through a preliminary assessment of these materials, the project lays the foundation for a study that will need to advance to a higher level of maturity than that required by the call for proposals, which gave rise to ORANGEES. To date, our studies are limited to a level of maturity that does not cover analyses for determining long-term stability, electrochemical reproducibility, and therefore energy efficiency. These analyses will be essential to completing the work begun today within ORANGEES.
8. What are the main expected results and how will they be disseminated and disseminated to the scientific and industrial community?
The expected scientific results from the experimental activity are of a cognitive nature, the fruit of a careful process of scouting and identifying materials with a highly organic matrix, such as electrodes, electrolytes, ionic liquids, etc., potentially valid from a chemical-physical standpoint for applications in lithium and post-lithium electrochemical storage devices. The results of the experimental activity will be disseminated through the use of the most popular information channels, through participation in national and international conferences, the organization of workshops, the presentation of the activities at national and European conferences, and through the creation of the ORANGEES website, available from June 2024: www.orangees.it. The ORANGEES project represents an important step towards a more sustainable energy future. Research and development of new eco-friendly materials for batteries and supercapacitors are essential for the transition to a renewable energy system. The commitment and dedication of the ORANGEES team offer concrete hope for a greener future.