Materials Engineering Research Facility
Materials Engineering Research Facility exterior
With the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s state-of-the-art labs and equipment, Argonne researchers can safely scale up materials from the research bench for commercial testing. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
- 1 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility exterior
With the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s state-of-the-art labs and equipment, Argonne researchers can safely scale up materials from the research bench for commercial testing. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
- 2 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Process R and D chemist Trevor Dzwiniel prepares a 20-liter jacked reactor for large-scale preparation of electrolyte materials for lithium-ion batteries. Reactors and other instruments in Argonne’s new Materials Engineering Research Facility produce large quantities of materials for industrial validation. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 29674D
- 3 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Experiments can keep researchers on their feet all day long. Process R and D chemist Kris Pupek moves between fume hoods in the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s process research and development lab, while lab-mate Trevor Dzwiniel records data in his notebook. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D11
- 4 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
In the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s process research and development lab, Argonne chemist Trevor Dzwiniel sets up a reaction calorimeter, which precisely measures how much heat a chemical reaction generates. This vital information is used to assess the scalability and safety of a reaction or process. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D18
- 5 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Chemical purity is a crucial parameter for battery-grade materials. Argonne chemist Kris Pupek loads a sample onto a high-performance liquid chromatography instrument in the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s process research and development lab. This instrument separates and analyzes the components of a sample to measure and identify impurities. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D19
- 6 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Argonne chemist Kris Pupek adjusts the stirrer speed of a 20-liter reactor in a walk-in hood in the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s process scale-up lab. These reactors are used to prepare large quantities of electrolyte materials for lithium-ion batteries. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D33
- 7 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Argonne process R and D chemist Kris Pupek records the process parameters off a large filter and dryer unit in Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility. Controlling and adjusting the parameters of pilot-scale reactions lets scientists determine the best conditions for achieving high-quality products. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D35
- 8 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Argonne material engineer YoungHo Shin prepares a coin cell battery in a glovebox in the Materials Engineering Research Facility. Once it is prepared, the battery can be tested to determine the energy output characteristics of a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D38
- 9 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
In the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s analytical lab, Argonne analytical chemist Gerald Jeka adjusts a nitrogen tank in preparation for a procedure used to determine the ratio of key elements in cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Behind him, Argonne researcher Mike Kras monitors a thermogravimetric analyzer to characterize material properties. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D52
- 10 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Argonne analytical chemist Gerald Jeka loads a sample on to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer in the Materials Engineering Research Facility’s analytical lab. Behind him, Mike Kras uses a thermogravimetric analyzer, which allows researchers to determine samples’ thermal properties and changes in mass with respect to temperature. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D56
- 11 of 11
Materials Engineering Research Facility
Argonne researcher Mike Kras loads a sample into a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), which tracks changes in the mass of a sample as a function of temperature and time. The TGA gives characteristic information about the composition of a sample, such as the amounts and thermal behavior of various components. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. 30147D57