Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIB) play a key role in the energy transition towards clean energy, powering electric vehicles, storing energy on renewable grids, and helping to cut emissions from transportation and energy sectors. Lithium (Li) demand is estimated to increase considerably in the near future, due to the growing need for clean-energy technologies. The corollary is that consumer expectations will also grow in terms of guarantees on the origin of Li and the efforts made to reduce the environmental and social impact potentially associated with its extraction. Today, the LIB-industry supply chain is very complex, making it difficult for end users to ensure that Li comes from environmentally and responsible sources. Using an innovative geochemical approach based on the analysis of Li isotopes of raw and processed materials, we show that Li isotope ‘fingerprints’ are a useful tool for determining the origin of lithium in LIB. This sets the stage for a new method ensuring the certification of Li in LIB.

Nanocomposites based on polycarbonate (PC) and different amounts of untreated graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) (from 1 to 7 wt %) were prepared by melt blending. The nanocomposites were thoroughly characterized employing the following techniques: broad band dielectric spectroscopy, thermally stimulated depolarization currents, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and water vapor, carbon dioxide and oxygen permeability measurements. The presence of a MWS relaxation mode indicated the accumulation of electrical charges trapped at the interfaces of the polycarbonate with graphene 2D platelets. The addition of GnP produced nanocomposite materials with enhanced mechanical and barrier properties. The melt mixed PC/graphene nanocomposites prepared here exhibit well-balanced properties, even though unmodified graphene nanoplatelets were used. In addition, the nanocomposites were obtained by a single extrusion process, which is easily scalable for industrial applications.

The physical loss of diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) plasticizer from PVC films of about 50 μm thickness has been investigated between 95 and 160°C in air by FTIR spectrophotometry and gravimetry. Complementary OIT measurements have been performed to follow the stabilizer depletion and to confirm that the dehydrochlorination of PVC remains negligible for all exposure durations under study. As expected for thin PVC films, the overall loss kinetics obeys a first order law, indicating that it is controlled by DIDP evaporation. The corresponding coefficient of DIDP evaporation obeys an Arrhenius law with an activation energy of about 96 kJ mol -1 . These results are in good agreement with those previously reported in the literature for other types of phthalate plasticizers of PVC.

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