Day 8

It is day 8 of the programme last Friday, and it is also the last day we get to do experiments in the laboratory. This signals the impending end of the attachment programme as well as the really soon-to-be presentation.
That day, we had Zhou Rui, Dr Kong's colleague, to demonstrate to us how to make ionic liquids that are highly viscous. These ionic liquids can be used as electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries, and its high degree of viscosity allows the electrolyte to be better enclosed within the battery cell, since such viscous liquids are less fluid. These ionic liquids can be further dissolved in a polymer mat so that a damp mat is created. This mat can then be added into the lithium battery in replacement of the usual liquid electrolyte.

Autolab device with a multitude of functions

The above Autolab equipment was used when we tried to measure the open-circuit voltage of the battery we assembled using the damp mat. To further investigate the adequacy of the damp mat that we've created, it is also vital to measure the thickness of the mat. So, Zhou Rui brought us to view this incredible machine, which somehow acts like a very precise ruler, measuring the thickness of the mat down to micrometres. 

Precise instrument for measuring thickness of our mat

So that was all about the morning spent with Zhou Rui, and we sincerely thank her for her time and patience. In the afternoon, me and Louis got down to doing the slides for our presentation. Hopefully it all turns out well!