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Glossary

Glossary for module 2

Active material: A material that intervenes the electrode reaction of the battery.

Additive: A substance that is added to something in small quantities to improve or preserve it.

Anode: An electrode in an electrochemical cell on which oxidation takes place. It releases electrons on discharge.

Ball-milling: A process where a powder mixture is placed in a ball mill and is subjected to a high-energy collision from a number of balls. A ball mill is practically a type of grinder.

Battery cell: The basic electrochemical unit of a battery, consisting of a single anode and cathode, separated by the electrolyte.

Battery module: A number of battery cells connected in either series or parallel.

Battery pack: A number of battery modules.

Binder: Materials responsible for holding the active material particles within the electrode of a battery.

Calendering: A process where the electrodes are pressed by rollers to a right porosity level.

Capacity: The electrical energy of a battery, measured in ampere-hours (Ah). It is the leading health indicator of a battery.

Cathode: An electrode in an electrochemical cell on which reduction occurs through absorption of electrons.

Electrode: A conductor in a cell in which an electrochemical reaction takes place.

Electrolyte: A non-metallic conductor of electricity which is placed between anode and cathode of a battery.

Energy transition: A structural long-term change in energy systems.

Jelly-roll: A common design used for cylindrical rechargeable batteries, where insulating sheet, anode, separator and cathode are layered, rolled up and inserted into a cylindrical casing.

Notching: A process where sheet metal is cut on angle sections or tube.

Pouch cell: A battery cell design where conductive foil-tabs are welded to the electrodes and are brought to the outside in a sealed way.

Precursors: A compound that participates in a chemical reaction, which produces another compound.

Prismatic cell: A battery cell design where many positive and negative electrodes are wrapped together in a package.

Rare earths: A rare earth element or metal is defined as one of the fifteen lanthanides in the periodic table as well as scandium and yttrium.

Refining: A process where impurities and/or unwanted elements are removed from a substance.

Separator: A solid layer of a battery cell, that separates anode from cathode.

Single-sheet stacking: A process where electrode sheets are stacked repeatedly in an order of anode, separator and cathode, and then fastened.

Solid Electrolyte Interface (SEI): A film on the surface of the anode, which is composed of lithium carbonate and lithium oxide.

Solvent: A substance that is able to dissolve other substances.

Substrate: Refers to an underlying substance or layer.

Supply chain: A system or network of people, activities, organizations, resources and information involved during the production and distribution of a product or service.

Wetting: The ability of a liquid to form interface with solid surfaces.

© EIT InnoEnergy
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Battery Storage: Understanding the Battery Revolution

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