Battery & Energy storage
Tin-based Chemical Additives for Battery Applications
Unlock the full potential of battery production with TIB battery additives. These tin chemical additives act as key components in electrolyte production, enhancing efficiency and reliability. Discover how our metal-based additives for batteries can revolutionize your battery production process and propel your energy storage solutions to new heights.
The increased demand for electric vehicles (EV) and alternative energy generation sources has created an equally increased demand for battery storage technologies. As these technologies enter into their next generation of development, new specialty chemical compounds will be required that allow for enhanced functionality and performance. Tin chemicals represent one of these chemical technologies that will help in solving problems experienced due to the current state of battery science. Using both tin metal and tin chemicals, battery manufacturers have a tool that could solve common problems including improvements in energy density/power density for use in batteries demanding higher voltage and power, increased charge capacity, minimization of electrode corrosion/passivation/fouling, and improvements in electrolyte conductivity.
As performance-enhancing battery additives, tin chemicals can be used with the electrodes (both anode and cathode) and electrolytes. Battery technologies where tin chemicals and tin metal are considered include additives or precursors for carbon anodes, additives or alloys used as the main anode material, additives, or alloys in silicone-based anodes, additive or precursors in Lithium anodes, solid-state electrolytes, electrolyte additives for metal-air batteries, and cathode components.
Tin Chemicals Used as Battery Additives
Tin chemicals used as either electrode or electrolyte additives are primarily of the inorganic tin species. Both stannous (tin (II)) and stannic (tin (IV)) chemicals are used. TIB supplies mainly stannous-based inorganic tin chemicals. Common inorganic tin products being looked at in the new battery technologies include TIB KAT 154 and TIB KAT 162, which are variants of stannous chloride, TIB STAB E144(P) (Sodium Stannate) and TIB STAB E140 (Potassium Stannate), TIB KAT 188 (Stannous Oxide) and carboxylates including TIB KAT 125 and TIB KAT 129.
Stannous Chlorides
Stannous chlorides can be used as performance battery additives by, for example, improving the conductivity of the electrolyte. Stannous chlorides can be used as a reducing agent in capacity and cycling performance improvements in lithium-sulfur batteries. Stannous chloride can also be used as a precursor for cathodes. TIB is supplying a wide range of solid and liquid-grade stannous chloride products including TIB KAT 154 (Stannous Chloride Dihydrate), TIB KAT 162 (Stannous Chloride Anhydrous), TIB STAN S50 and TIB STAN S72 (Stannous Chloride Solutions).
Stannates
As tin (IV) based inorganic tins, stannates can be used as metal-based additives to improve battery performance. The main stannate products being used in battery applications include the solid grades TIB STAB E144(P) (Sodium Stannate) and TIB STAB E140(P) (Potassium Stannate), and the related liquid grades (e.g., TIB STAB E10/E12). Stannates can be used to improve the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode in certain fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Stannates can be used as conductive battery additives, improving ion mobility in the electrolytes. Stannates can be used in metal-air batteries in minimizing the hydrogen evolution reactions at the anode which leads to corrosion/passivation/fouling resulting in a decrease in charging capacity and charge retention over time. For example, Potassium Stannate has been used as an electrolyte additive in Fe-air batteries; A hybrid additive consisting of Sodium Stannate and ellagic acid (bio-based, sourced from pomegranate rinds) in an Al-air battery has also been researched.
References International Tin Association (2019). Market Report: Tin in Lithium-ion Batteries – Executive Summary