This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is targeted at the development of a novel, low-cost continuous method for the production of ionic liquids. Ionic liquids are a class of industrial chemicals with broad applications in energy, pharmaceutical, biomass and solar fields. Ionic liquids are leading candidates for electrolytes in advanced batteries and capacitors where they enable non-flammable, longer-lived batteries that store more energy than current models. While the potential of ionic liquids is significant, the current cost is prohibitive. Boulder Ionics Corporation proposes to develop a novel, cost-effective method for producing ionic liquids in industrial volumes. The highly flexible technique enables continuous production of ionic liquids with low capital cost. It eliminates the use of solvents in the synthesis process, and produces a very high purity product. In Phase II the company will develop the novel synthesis process, demonstrate low-cost ways of making key precursors, and develop techniques for purifying and measuring the purity of the products. Successful completion of the program will result in low-cost, high-performance electrolytes for advanced energy storage.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to make ionic liquids cost-effective in a wide range of industries. Ionic liquids can replace volatile organic solvents in a vast range of industrial processes, are leading candidates for biomass processing, and have broad applications in electrochemistry, advanced batteries, supercapacitors/ultracapacitors and as heat transfer fluids in advanced concentrating solar plants. In addition, our innovative synthesis technique has broad application across the chemical industry. Cost-effective ionic liquids are critical elements of the new energy economy, with applications in biomass, solar power, and grid-scale energy storage. Techniques developed in this research will enhance scientific understanding of novel chemical reactors, leading to a new generation of more efficient and less-polluting chemical plants. Knowledge gained in this program will enable technologies that will enhance U.S. energy security, and strengthen the emerging U.S. battery industry.
The primary technical goal of this SBIR program was to demonstrate novel techniques for the cost-effective synthesis of high-purity ionic liquids. Ionic liquids find applications in diverse fields from chemical engineering, chemistry, biomass processing, metals extraction, petroleum processing, metal finishing, solar cells, lubricants, high-temperature working fluids and optical devices. Among these applications, one of the nearest-term and highest-value applications is the use of ionic liquids as components of advanced electrolytes for electrochemical devices including batteries, capacitors, fuel cells and solar cells. At the start of this program, there were no ionic liquids available in ton quantities in electrochemical grades at prices that made them cost-effective in commercial applications. The novel production methods developed in this program represent a key breakthrough towards the commercialization of these fluids, yielding industry-leading cost/purity ratios and the ability to produce large quantities of material cost-effectively. In this program, we developed continuous methods for each step in our production process and integrated these steps into a single production system. We developed analytical techniques to enable on-line monitoring of the product quality. To address cost issues identified early in the program, we also demonstrated novel synthetic routes with the potential for dramatic cost reductions. The methods and processes developed under this program are more efficient and safer than previous approaches for synthesizing ionic liquids. Our research has enhanced understanding of novel chemical reactors, paving the way for a new generation of more efficient and less-polluting chemical plants. In addition to the work to produce the ionic liquids and related salts, this program also generated results on the use of these materials in energy storage devices, providing a path for improved lifetime, energy density and operating temperature for next generation batteries.
