April 2023
“I am grateful that HQ is invited to participate in SAFELiMOVE. Personally, I am very happy to be in this project, I learned a lot from the other partners. Regardless of our level of knowledge, we are still students in this world.”
Abdelbast Guerfi and his team at HYDRO-QUEBEC main activities in SAFELiMOVE are specially focused on lithium anode material developement, scale up and production, with emphasis on studying its interface with the solid electrolyte by leading task 5.2 “Li-Metal-Solid Electrolyte Interface in Anode”.
HQ has been involved in the field of lithium metal and batteries since 1980, Abdelbast Guerfi had the right time and the opportunity to work with Hydro-Quebec experts since 1992, focusing on the development of Li-solid state polymer batteries under the USABC program. Then, after the resolution of the olivine patent litigation, a major effort was devoted to the olivine cathode for Li-ion and solid state Li-metal batteries. Currently, I lead an innovation team for the development of new materials and technological ideas
What was your original motivation to become a researcher?
Generally, good teachers will have a big impact in career decision and will help you to be interested in the subject and thus the orientation of your career is decided. Add to that your scientific curiosity to understand the phenomena of matter and patience.
What is your (main) research area today?
Group leader to discover new materials that make batteries more efficient. The main focus is to understand and stabilize interfaces.
What is the main objective of your team in SAFELiMOVE?
Produce the metallic lithium anode according to the project requirements and thus study its interface with the solid electrolyte produced within the framework of the project.
What expertise and facilities does your team have to meet those objectives?
HQ is one of the world’s pioneers in the design and production of thin films of lithium metal. This expertise acquired over more than 60 years will be used to produce cell prototypes regardless of capacity.
Which aspects of your research at SAFELiMOVE do you believe are the most innovative and what unique opportunities offer SAFELiMOVE to yourself and/or your organisation?
In short, it is in the hybrid electrolyte with the idea of separating the LATP-rich layer and thus limiting its decomposition with the lithium anode.
It must be understood that a single partner can never be an expert in all the components of the battery. And the collaboration of this type of multi-expertise project allows all the partners to know the expertise of others and to deepen their scientific and technological knowledge.
How do you see the future use of the SAFELiMOVE-results and the impact of SAFELiMOVE-project in our daily lives?
We must not hide the reality and especially in science, we are aware that the trend in battery technology is towards an all solid state but the path is far. The only way to achieve this is to invest in R&D projects like SafeLimove and others to overcome technological issues and explore new ideas. The ultimate goal will be reached sooner or later by taking advantage of the progress of these projects.
