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DOE OSTI · 3375679

Evaluation of sucrose crystallization kinetics using confocal microscopy: Determining differences in sucrose crystallization kinetics between single and polycrystal studies

Levine, Gabriel [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Hernandez, Marcos M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000164811193)·DeJong, Amy [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Ben-Yoseph, Eyal [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Bras, Rafael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Yoshida, Thomas M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Klingenberg, Eric [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]·Dumont, Joseph H. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]
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Abstract

Sucrose solution crystal growth kinetics are dependent on temperature, concentration, and impurities. A double polarized confocal microscopy system was used to obtain photographs with high contrast between growing crystals and the background for color background removal image processing. Seeded solutions of 72 wt% sucrose at 27, 35, 45, and 55°C were compared for single and polycrystals. Polycrystal analysis was determined to offer more rapid image processing and to be more applicable to systems in real operating conditions, while single-crystal analysis was determined to give more comprehensive descriptions of individual crystal behavior at the cost of slower processing.

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCEcrystal growthkineticsmicrostructurepolycrystalthin film

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Levine, Gabriel [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Hernandez, Marcos M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000164811193), DeJong, Amy [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Ben-Yoseph, Eyal [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Bras, Rafael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Yoshida, Thomas M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Klingenberg, Eric [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)], Dumont, Joseph H. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)]. 2026-06-15. Evaluation of sucrose crystallization kinetics using confocal microscopy: Determining differences in sucrose crystallization kinetics between single and polycrystal studies. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-026-00990-3

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DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

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