Materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion -- Batteries, capacitors and fuel cells

The papers contained in this volume were presented at Symposium W: Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion -- Batteries, Capacitors and Fuel Cells, that was held during the 1995 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California, April 17--20, 1995. The symposium was organized as a forum for uniting materials scientists with electrochemists and battery engineers, with the hope of increasing communication and understanding of electrochemical aspects of materials. It is believed that the development of high-performance power sources for applications ranging from portable electronics to electric and hybrid vehicles is intimately linked with availability of advanced materials. Designing batteries and capacitors with higher specific energy and power will require a deeper understanding of materials properties and performance. Fuel cells, which offer the potential for clean, efficient conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy, are hampered by high cost and performance problems, both of which could be resolved by new materials and processing techniques. Sessions were organized on oxides, hydrides, polymers and carbons as they relate to fuel cells, batteries and electrochemical double-layer capacitors. Moreover, reviews of the current status of materials performance and needs were presented in each of the application areas. Forty nine papers have been processed separatelymore » for inclusion on the data base.« less