Dr. Robson Monteiro is the Senior Global Market Development Manager for CBMM Niobium, a Brazilian-based mining and metallurgical company and the world’s largest supplier of niobium products. Dr. Monteiro is an internationally seasoned and savvy market development professional with 20+ years of experience in R&D and market commercialization of niobium oxides for energy storage and conversion materials, industrial catalysts, optical and ceramic nanomaterials. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, holds several patents and gives lectures at international conferences and teaching courses in academic institutions around the world.
"Niobium role on improving electrochemical performance of Li-ion battery active materials"
The newest generation of advanced lithium-ion battery materials are utilizing niobium to solve the remaining challenges of safety, high-power and fast-charging, longer durability and lower cost. Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) and its derivative niobate compounds (TiNb2O7, Nb16W5O55, XNO™, etc.) are alternative anode active materials to graphite by rendering much improved rate capability, safety and cycling stability. Niobium doping and coating of LMO, LNMO, LFP, LMFP, mid and high-Ni NMC cathode active materials are improving their structural, electrochemical, and thermal properties by increasing stability, minimizing impedance growth and cation mixing, and suppressing high temperature degradation. In the development of all solid-state batteries, LiNbO3/Li3NbO4 protective coating layer is playing an increasing role in the electrode and solid electrolytes interface engineering, which result in mitigation of impedance build up and undesirable chemical reactions that lead to the formation of insulative SEI layers and electrolyte degradation. Therefore, the use of niobium to promote the development of these battery material components is herein discussed in the form of a short overview perspective