糖心TV

A group of academics at WMG, University of 糖心TV have been recognised at the prestigious 2025 Community Awards.

Dr Mona Faraji NiriLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Associate Professor of Battery Modelling won the Public Engagement / STEM Outreach Individual Award, and Professor Louis PiperLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Dr Ashok MenonLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window and Dr Gaurav PandeyLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, were presented with the group Innovation Award.

The Awards followed the Faraday Institution Conference, which was held from 9-11 September, at the University of 糖心TV. The conference showcased cutting-edge research, with a strong emphasis on collaboration across academia, industry, and policy in pursuit of a net-zero future.

WMG, University of 糖心TV is part of an industry-academia consortium, with , (JLR) and , to accelerate Lithium-ion battery recycling research.

Funded by the UK Department for 糖心TV and Trade through the (APC), the project will see the expansion of Mint Innovation鈥檚 technology platform to recover lithium, nickel and cobalt from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, helping the UK automotive industry with onshore and circular supply of lithium, cobalt and nickel critical for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Each partner, within the consortium, has a role to play in ensuring a sustainable lifecycle for lithium-ion batteries, from end-of-life battery supply and processing through to integrating recycled materials into new batteries, closing the loop and increasing supply chain resilience.

The SafeBatt project, involving battery experts from WMG at the University of 糖心TV, has won a Safety Innovation Award at the 颁辞苍蹿别谤别苍肠别.鈥�

The conference was held in London on Thursday (21^st November) with the awards recognising and celebrating the best engineering collaborations and innovations across the UK.鈥�

Funded by the , SafeBatt is鈥痑 collaboration of seven universities as well as industry partners investigating the science behind battery safety. 鈥�

The University of 糖心TV is shedding the light on a distinguished battery researcher this .

Dr Melanie Loveridge, Reader in Battery Materials and Cells at WMG at The University of 糖心TV, is also committed to improving the inclusivity of women and minority groups in her area of work. Her research focuses on lithium-ion batteries, helping to power net zero and a more sustainable world.

Dr Loveridge said: 鈥淭he first lithium-ion batteries were used in small Sony cameras, now we are relying on them to power electric vehicles. We need much bigger sources of power to last longer, which has been a significant challenge.

鈥淚 conduct forensic analysis of batteries to help understand how they degrade over time, which is really important in knowing how to improve the way we manufacture them. Understanding why batteries fail is crucial, as the world shifts to more sustainable energy sources.

鈥淢y team uses specialised equipment such as electron microscopy, Xray based characterisation and mapping chemical elements in materials to look at the components within batteries under high magnification. Battery forensics needs a huge orchestra of highly sophisticated techniques.鈥�

Starting her career in the industry, Dr Loveridge became fascinated with the science of batteries and decided to pursue an academic role to learn more. This has led to her publishing over 40 academic papers.

With over 15 years鈥� experience in academia, she has also given evidence from for her research specialisms for influential panels such as the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee and The Shadow Cabinet鈥檚 Round Table on Energy Storage.

Dr Loveridge added: 鈥淢y research area is such a multidisciplinary field. I can interact with engineers and scientists from across many academic disciplines and industry partners, which is not commonplace in a lot of academic circles. It鈥檚 amazing to collaborate with lots of different people.鈥�

Alongside her academic achievements, Dr Loveridge champions equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in her work. She has recently been appointed as Associate Dean of Research – where she is supporting an enhancing culture project funded by The University of 糖心TV, on a survey-led initiative with an aim to understand the challenges and barriers faced by minority groups and women in leading STEM-based research.

鈥淔ortunately, lots of the funders I work with, such as the Faraday Institute, really value diversity and inclusion; we now have to show how we have outlined commitments to EDI in all of our grant applications. I think the gender imbalance in senior roles will change, but this will take time.

"As part of my EDI role, I鈥檓 also trying to make the working environment more inclusive, particularly for special interest groups. I find this really rewarding.鈥�

By championing sustainable research, such as Dr Loveridge鈥檚 vital work on batteries, The University of 糖心TV is committed to creating a more sustainable world. Its Strategy 2030 sets out five key sustainability pathways to follow, including achieving Net Zero carbon emissions from scopes 1 and 2 by 2030, and scope 3 by 2050.

Find out more about Dr Loveridge鈥檚 research here: Battery Materials and Cells Group - WMG (warwick.ac.uk)

The University of 糖心TV has been awarded millions of pounds to boost British production of crucial materials for electric car batteries.

The 拢12 million in funding has been awarded by the to the at WMG at the University of 糖心TV, and CPI at (North East Technology Park), in County Durham.

It will be used to create the new Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre (AMBIC).

The Centre will bridge the gap between academic research and battery production and will focus on how batteries can be made to work more efficiently, as well as on equipment and skills development.

The Centre is needed to help the UK develop the electric vehicle batteries of the future, with reduced costs, more sustainable materials and improved performance.

Electric vehicle batteries make up around half the cost of a new electric vehicle, so reducing the cost of their production is crucial to lowering the cost of EVs to parity with combustion engine vehicles.

The funds are part of a wider investment strategy by the Faraday Battery Challenge and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to ramp up Britain鈥檚 battery production and infrastructure to boost the UK鈥檚 domestic battery supply chain.

Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre said: 鈥淐athode and anode active materials make up more than 50% of the value of an automotive battery cell.

鈥淔or the UK to take its great academic research into production, and to capture the billions of pounds of resulting economic value in the UK, we need facilities which allow Britain to scale up and fully evaluate new materials. This investment, alongside the combined skillsets of CPI and WMG will provide that capability for the UK.鈥�

The funds are specifically to help turbocharge the scale up of battery materials manufacturing within the UK. Only by producing batteries on a wider scale domestically can the EV industry make sure there is no bottleneck in supply and demand. By strengthening UK supply chains of battery materials, WMG is working with UKBIC and others to create a more resilient supply chain.

Thomas Bartlett, Challenge Deputy Director for the Faraday Battery Challenge, said: 鈥淎MBIC will bring together two emerging regions of battery innovation and manufacturing; the North-East and Midlands, under one facility to de-risk and accelerate battery materials scale up in the UK.

鈥淭hrough the Faraday Battery Challenge鈥檚 拢12m investment in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult we will establish a truly world-class facility to support the growth of a battery materials supply chain. With AMBIC and previous investments in cell, module and pack scale-up at UKBIC and R&D in the wider ecosystem, the UK will now be in a position to support businesses from 鈥減owder to pack鈥� and from lab to commercial scales.鈥�

Katherine Bennett, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, said: 鈥淭he next generation of battery technologies are critical to the green energy transition and a major opportunity for UK manufacturing. Realising that potential will require combining our collective expertise and this investment from the Faraday Battery Challenge is a brilliant example of that in action.

鈥淚n CPI and WMG, the Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre has two centres that are at the very forefront of chemical processing and battery cell development; together they can turbo charge battery materials scale-up.鈥�

Frank Millar, Chief Executive Officer at CPI, said: 鈥淭he Advanced Materials Batteries Industrialisation Centre will enhance the UK鈥檚 existing competitive advantages in batteries technology, and it stands to become a catalyst for the UK to address some of the biggest challenges we face as a nation. By giving innovators the opportunity to harness our expertise we can tackle issues such as climate change, while growing a sector that will be vital to the future of the economy.鈥�

WMG, at the University of 糖心TV, has received a share of 拢19 million from the - the UK鈥檚 flagship institute for electrochemical energy storage research.

The funding has been allocated to four key battery research projects aimed at delivering an impact for the UK. These existing projects across three different research areas — next generation cathode materials, electrode manufacturing and sodium-ion batteries — have been reshaped to focus on the areas with the greatest potential for success.

WMG is taking a key role in two of the four, reshaped projects entitled FutureCAT and Nextrode.

WMG鈥檚 Professor of Battery Innovation, Louis Piper, will now co-lead FutureCAT, a battery cathode research project, focusing on understanding novel redox processes as a route to stabilise both high capacity, high performance, nickel rich and emerging cathodes and scalable designer morphologies. The project will build on its success in developing reliable, scalable routes to deliver a longer lifetime, high-energy/power cathodes, essential for electric vehicles.

Whereas in Nextrode, a battery electrode project, WMG is one of six university partners, led by the University of Oxford, alongside six industry partners. Researchers at WMG will investigate ways to make electrodes for Li-ion batteries unlocking the electrochemical potential.

Professor Pam Thomas, CEO, Faraday Institution, commented: 鈥淭he Faraday Institution remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and invest in battery research initiatives that hold the greatest potential for making significant societal, environmental, and commercial contributions. This announcement signals the completion of our latest round of project refocusing, enabling us to allocate even more effort towards those areas of research that offer maximum potential in delivering transformative impact.鈥�

James Gaade, Research Programme Director commented: 鈥淲e are pleased that the reshaping process has bolstered the capabilities and expertise of researchers on the four projects. The realignment includes a focus around research into sustainable manufacturing methods and materials, and the need to further develop and scale up manufacture of promising materials discovered in the first three years of the projects.鈥�

Project information

FutureCat, co-lead by WMG鈥檚 Professor Louis Piper, and the University of Sheffield鈥檚 Professor Serena Cussen is targeting step-changes in:

• Understanding novel redox processes as a route to stabilise both high capacity, high performance, nickel rich and emerging cathodes. The project continues its focus on doped and dual-doped lithium nickel oxides (LNO) (both polycrystalline and single crystals), including use of protective coatings. The team will also investigate the use of polyanionic cathodes, use modelling to inform the search for new candidate materials, and research designer electrolytes with the intention of stabilising the interphase layer.
• Scalable designer morphologies. The project will build on its success with doped-LNO in developing reliable, scalable routes to deliver a longer lifetime, high-energy/power cathodes through the use of gradient morphologies, co-doped cathodes (with the aim of delivering reversible discharge capacities exceeding 220 mAh/g), single crystal particles and thin coatings.
• Materials delivery: The scale up of the high nickel W-LNO material previously developed by FutureCat is being transferred to the Degradation project for testing in industry-relevant pouch cells. FutureCat will continue to investigate the manufacturing scale-up of other Ni-rich cathode materials, down-selecting promising active materials based on earth-abundant elements. Research includes the use of laser patterning to increase power densities, investigation of cracking as a failure mechanism to determine routes to resilient cathode manufacture, atomic layer deposition of coatings to improve electrode longevity, and optimisation of cycle life through the use of electrically conductive binders.

Nextrode is focused on researching, understanding and quantifying the potential of smart electrode manufacturing to reduce manufacturing costs and improve the performance of batteries. Benefits could be realised in both mature material systems already used commercially and in new emerging high performance battery systems. The project is developing new practical manufacturing innovations – including traditional slurry cast electrodes and novel low or no solvent electrodes – that could deliver the benefits of smart electrodes to the industrial scale and improve sustainability of processes.

The project is researching the underpinning manufacturing science that could alleviate constraints in electrode manufacturing through engineering particle design and improved understanding of the relationship between powder properties and deposition/calendering techniques. Nextrode is designing manufacturing process steps and using advanced in-line measurements to enable slurry casting to be brought under closed-loop control. Researchers are manufacturing new arrangements of anode and cathode materials, identifying conditions where benefits are maximised and developing cells that expand the energy-power-lifetime design space.

The new phase of research projects described will progress over the two years from 1鈥疧ctober 2023 to 30鈥疭eptember 2025.

Find out more about WMG鈥檚 Electrochemical Engineering research here: Electrochemical Materials (warwick.ac.uk)

For more information on the Faraday Institution, visit

Researchers at WMG, University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Forensics & Advanced Characterisation of Batteries Group, have secured 拢1.5m funding for materials analysis in multiple format batteries.

The funding, from the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Academic Equipment Fund and the , will be used to purchase a Plasma Focused Ion Beam (PFIB) microscope. The microscope is key to the accelerated development of new battery chemistries, providing unique access to the critical interfaces within battery cells that dictate best performance. This will be instrumental in developing new materials for better batteries, regardless of their end use application.

This PFIB will be the first specifically configured microscope dedicated to battery research in the world, allowing researchers at WMG to inform battery manufacturing, answer key scientific questions and link with industry and growing supply chains.

There is increased recognition in the battery community that the integration of new chemistries needed for the will require integrating new manufacturing processes with advanced microscopic characterisation. The PFIB has been specifically designed to address the critical challenges of studying alkali-based battery systems and will provide unique insights needed for the development of next generation batteries.

The performance of battery materials is dictated by the stability, efficiency and functionality of the interfaces, i.e. the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the anode and oxygen-induced cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI) at the cathode. Attempts to analyse these interfaces, in order to determine structure and chemistry, is seriously compromised using conventional techniques by the extreme air-sensitivity, beam sensitivity and the high volatility of certain species present. The specially configured PFIB microscope will address these issues.

WMG is one of seven HVM Catapult centres in the UK and is the lead centre for transport electrification. Investment in this PFIB is part of a range of equipment investments by the HVM Catapult and the University of 糖心TV to maintain WMG鈥檚 leading position in battery technology.

The PFIB has already secured interest from the Faraday Institution and from the 鈥檚 Lord Bhattacharyya Education Programme. Starting in the Autumn, a student will use this for a project entitled 鈥淭he development of a new multi-modal capability for investigating the performance-controlling interfaces and microstructures that underpin operation of battery materials.鈥�

provides up to 90 bursaries annually for local students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The objectives for the scheme include encouraging a greater number of young people from a more diverse range of backgrounds, raising their aspirations and skill levels. Moreover, it supports the growth of a science and engineering skills base for the UK.

The project will make extensive use of the new system to develop strategies for studying the degradation of buried interfaces and structure dynamics in state-of-the-art high Ni NMC cathodes as a function of cycle ageing i.e., the evolution of the cathode-electrolyte interphases. The platform provides some unique opportunities for developing powerful new ways to characterise these controlling interfaces and will form the basis for the project. Preliminary research will commence in October 2023. The project will be advertised online for interested applicants to apply – the studentships page, Jobs.ac.uk, FindAPhD.com and the Doctoral College website.

Find out more about WMG鈥檚 electrochemical research here: Electrochemical Materials (warwick.ac.uk)

The new PFIB microscope will be based in WMG鈥檚 Advanced Material Manufacturing Centre (AMMC).

• OXECO and WMG at the University of 糖心TV will conduct a 15-month research programme into lithium-ion battery coatings
• Research is expected to advance next generation active materials and coating foils used to create electrodes
• The partnership aims to improve lithium-ion battery performance, longevity, and manufacturing

OXECO, a spin-out of the University of Oxford, has partnered with WMG at the University of 糖心TV, for a 15-month collaboration on lithium-ion battery technology. The partnership aims to advance the lithium-ion battery industry by leveraging WMG鈥檚 research on battery cell development and optimisation, alongside OXECO鈥檚 unique technology platform.

The research programme aims to enhance the performance, longevity, and ease of manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries by focusing on the preparation of active materials and coating foils used to create electrodes.

The programme is expected to yield transformative results in the improvement of current lithium-ion batteries and be a significant step towards the development of more efficient, reliable, and sustainable energy storage solutions.

This partnership will further OXECO鈥檚 aim to leverage innovative surface chemistry to accelerate our net-zero future. Jon-Paul Griffiths, founder and Chief Technology Officer at OXECO, commented that: 鈥淭his is a remarkable opportunity to help steer the progress of battery technology - a crucial industry for the realisation of a sustainable energy economy. WMG has exceptional proficiency and credibility in battery research, coupled with the ability to manufacture from bench to pilot scale.

"This marks the initial phase of our efforts towards the integration of ONTO鈩� chemistry into lithium-ion batteries, and we are also delving into other domains of our chemistry for diverse applications in batteries, such as separator membranes. Our team is dedicated to forging a path towards cutting-edge technological advancements that will shape the future of energy storage solutions.鈥�

WMG has an international reputation for working successfully with industry, with a history of partnering with pioneering entities, including Lotus, Aston Martin, JLR, BAE Systems, IBM, and Plug and Play, as well as the latest technology innovators.

Dr Mark Copley, Chief Engineer in WMG's Electrochemical Materials and Manufacturing team, concluded: 鈥淲e are excited to be partnering with OXECO. This collaboration will draw on the University鈥檚 extensive expertise in battery technologies and OXECO鈥檚 chemistry to improve battery performance and longevity and help the global transition to sustainable power solutions through innovative research and training.鈥�

About OXECO

OXECO is a chemistry technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures thin coatings and materials for the transport and clean technology sectors. The company鈥檚 core innovative technology controls the way that surfaces behave using cutting-edge carbene chemistry. This technology was born in the University of Oxford鈥檚 Department of Chemistry and developed over more than two decades.

New research has shown that understanding how oxygen participates in energy storage is critical for developing higher energy density batteries, in a new paper published by experts at WMG, at the University of 糖心TV.

Using advanced X-ray techniques, researchers at WMG, together with the   consortium, have obtained new insights into the oxygen redox activity in conventional ni-rich cathodes, which will help to deliver improved electric vehicle performance.

Range anxiety is a key concern of many potential EV buyers, but range is steadily improving as battery technology and research evolves. The Faraday Institution鈥檚 Next Generation Lithium-Ion Cathode Materials project, FutureCat, aims to develop understanding of existing and newly discovered cathode chemistries to deliver improved EV performance, whilst considering sustainability.

Professor Louis Piper, from WMG at the University of 糖心TV, who led the research explained: 鈥淭ransitioning to electrification requires integrating advanced materials science into battery processing to develop cheaper, safer, faster and better batteries, which is the focus of our research.鈥�

The battery field is moving to increasing nickel contents in cathodes to meet the Government鈥檚 stringent EV 2030+ targets. These roadmaps assume successful strategies in material development to allow cathodes like W-LNO to operate at high voltages without degrading. This work provides the platform towards realising that goal by better understand the redox mechanisms (i.e., the reactions that enable charging/discharging the battery) at high voltage operation.

The study employed advanced x-ray characterisation techniques at the Diamond Light Source in Oxford and at WMG. The team at WMG utilised novel in-house x-ray absorption spectroscopy which enabled researchers to look at the electrode redox process of the battery cathodes after careful disassembly. Researchers were surprised to find that the oxidised oxygen species had the same characteristics as another group of Li-ion battery cathodes, Li-excess transition metal oxides. Reconciling how the same oxidised oxygen environment exists in both conventional and Li-excess cathodes is critical for unlocking how to develop the next generation of cathodes.

Professor Piper adds: 鈥淭his work highlights how large-scale collaborative fundamental studies are needed even for supposedly 鈥榢nown鈥� systems.鈥�

WMG will be continuing with further studies in this field, supported by the Faraday Institution, for the benefit of cathode battery manufacturers.

A link to the published article can be found here:

Researchers at WMG at the University of 糖心TV, are part of a unique four-way partnership, with , technology innovation catalyst and , which will position the UK as a technology hub for global battery development.

Project Constellation is an extension of Project STELLAR which focused on improving battery power and cycle life. Project Constellation takes the research to the next level addressing improvements to battery performance, which will in turn lower development and production costs.

The team at WMG will use its expertise in pilot scale electrode production, cell manufacturing and electrochemical testing to support and de-risk rapid technology screening and accelerate the route to market.

Farid Tariq Ph.D, CTO and Co-founder of Addionics, explains:" Constellation builds on the success of Stellar taking it beyond basic tests and towards industrially relevant scales. We are excited because it provides a strong integration piece of our technology with world leaders in coating and fabrication, and active material fabrication (WMG, CPI, James Durrans) that can show how our very smartly designed and structured current collectors can fit into a viable battery ecosystem and provide benefits from our technology. This is readily transferable knowledge and will push the creation of new methods to overcome modern limitations of batteries and fabrication."

Mark Copley, Chief Engineer in WMG at the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Electrochemical Materials and Manufacturing team said: 鈥淲MG is delighted to be a partner in the CONSTELLATION consortium. Utilising our experience in scaling up new technologies, from lab to pilot line, we feel that we will be able to further the development of Addionics鈥� current collector technology whilst coupling in Durrans鈥� graphite and formulation developments, as derived by CPI.

鈥淭he project goals fit very well with the ideals of WMG, which is to work collaboratively with industry to deliver high-quality, applied, research and development. We look forward to the results that will be generated through this funded collaborative effort.

Project Constellation is a two year project, funded by the UK Government鈥檚 Faraday Institution鈥檚 Faraday Battery Challenge Round 5 Innovation.

About the partners

Addionics

Addionics is a next-generation battery technology company revolutionizing battery performance through its chemistry-agnostic Smart 3D Electrode architecture. The company鈥檚 scalable, cost-effective manufacturing process combined with its AI-based optimization software significantly improves the performance of any kind of chemistry, achieving batteries with higher energy density, faster charging, and longer lifetime, at low cost. With the mission to accelerate an electrified economy and decarbonized future, Addionics is unlocking the full potential and accelerating the electrification revolution through its drop-in solutions.

CPI

We take great ideas and inventions, and we make them a reality. Born in the North East of England in 2004, CPI is an independent deep tech innovation organisation and a founding member of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. 

We're a team of intelligent people using advances in science and technology to solve the biggest global鈥痗hallenges in healthcare and sustainability. Through our incredible people and innovation infrastructure, we collaborate with our鈥痯artners in industry, academia, government, and the investment community to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative鈥痯roducts.鈥�鈥� 

Our work ranges from health technologies, advanced drug delivery systems, and medicines manufacturing innovations for multiple鈥痬odalities including small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acids; to developing sustainable materials for energy storage and packaging, as well as novel food, feed, and nutraceuticals, that are all underpinned鈥痓y digital technology. We turn the entrepreneurial spirit and radical thinking of our people and partners into incredible impact that makes our world a better place. 

Let鈥檚 innovate together:  

Connect with us:     

James Durrans Group

Long established family owned manufacturing company (1863) based in Penistone near Sheffield but with manufacturing sites across the globe. We provide pro-active solutions to our customer needs. Experts in carbon processing and technology and the manufacture of heat resistant coatings and graphitic dispersions.