Carter Abney
Bio
Carter W. Abney earned B.S. degrees in chemistry and theoretical mathematics from the University of Wisconsin in 2005. In 2007, he graduated from the University of North Carolina with a M.S. degree in chemistry, before working as an Analytical R&D Scientist and ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2015 he earned a Ph. D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Chicago under the guidance of Professor Wenbin Lin. From 2015 – 2018 he worked in the Chemical Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the Eugene P. Wigner Fellow, using synchrotron x-rays and neutron scattering techniques to research the effects of metal coordination on polymer morphology and the resulting physicochemical properties. From 2018 – 2021 he worked at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company in their Corporate Strategic Research Division, developing new materials for CO2 capture. In 2021 he joined Borregaard USA as a Research Associate in their Biopolymers Division, researching lignosulfonate additives for lead and lithium batteries. He now serves as the global technical application manager for batteries.
Carter has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, filed more than 14 patents and patent applications, and has received numerous awards and recognitions including the ExxonMobil Global Technology Award, the ACS Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Division Early Career Fellow, the I&EC Research 2017 Class of Influential Researchers, a UT-Battelle Research Accomplishment award, and recognition from the US Department of Nuclear Energy for Innovations in Fuel Cycle Research.
Co-author: Prof. Stewart Parker, ISIS Neutron and Muon Facility.
Lignosulfonates are widely accepted as an indispensable component in the negative electrode of a lead battery, imparting dramatic improvements in cycle life and cold crank. They are also frequently blamed for inconsistent battery performance and premature failure. Measuring the persistence of lignosulfonates presents a challenge, as they are added at very low weight percent (0.2 – 0.3 wt%) and are diluted in lead, obviating any ability to characterize them by traditional spectroscopic or x-ray scattering techniques. The use of neutrons to investigate lead batteries has recently emerged, due to the superior penetration depths compared to x-rays. However, due to their fundamental physical properties, neutrons also interact most strongly with light elements such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. As a result, neutrons provide a uniquely powerful tool for investigating lignosulfonates, even while dispersed in an abundance of lead. In this work we present the first application of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to the quantification of a common lignosulfonate in a lead battery negative electrode. Data were collected on sampled negative electrodes from 2V flooded cells following curing, formation, cycling, and at end of life. Interpretation of the INS spectrum reveals a dynamic process where lignosulfonates dissolve from and re-adsorb to the negative electrode over the course of battery lifetime, and hints at the complex and interrelated phenomena which need to be balanced to achieve optimal battery performance. This work provides a first step for better understanding the physicochemical behavior of lignosulfonates in lead batteries and the rational design of novel battery expanders.
