A true collaborator, Aravind “Babs” Baby fosters creativity in lead-acid battery refurbishment and overcomes difficulties through teaching others. 

Aravind "Babs" Baby. Credit: Lily Dokhanchi, Beckman Communications Office.Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Babs defended his thesis in April and will deposit his dissertation this fall. He works with Joaquín Rodríguez López at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, using principles of chemistry and electrochemistry. 

Babs attended the Indian Institute of Science to pursue his undergraduate degree in materials science with a minor in chemistry. His passion for scientific thinking flourished, and he remained there to earn his M.S. in materials science.

During his education in India, Babs conducted research related to zinc-ion batteries, which prompted his interest in lead-acid batteries. He now focuses on extending the lifetime of failed lead-acid batteries. He hopes that this research will reduce the harmful environmental impacts of current battery recycling methods. 

How did you start on your path toward becoming a researcher?

In seventh grade, I was obsessed with memorizing the periodic table. Then, I had a few fun scientific experiences in my school, like once when I burst a piece of sodium in a high school lab I was leading. This actually got me into some trouble, but I’ll say I’ve always liked chemistry, even as a kid.

Once I began my undergraduate degree, I realized that I'm also interested in the application side of things, and that's how I started in materials science and engineering. I took a course on corrosion engineering in my third year which made me interested in electrochemistry. The whole class was struggling to grasp an electrochemistry concept, but it came naturally to me, so the next logical step was to go more into studying batteries, which would perfectly combine my interests in materials and chemistry!

What goals do you have for your research of batteries? What motivated these goals?

My main goal is to refurbish batteries in their original operating conditions without breaking them for recycling. This is called in-situ battery refurbishment, and it extends batteries’ lifetimes and decreases the load of the battery recycling industry.

This project started because our collaborators in the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory wanted us to develop a simple technique to extend the operational window and lifetime of lead-acid batteries used in field missions by the army. Even an increase of 10-20% would impact field missions greatly.

To refurbish a lead-acid battery, one removes the acid electrolyte, fills it with the refurbishment solution, waits for a certain time, removes the solution and refills the acid, and the battery starts working again!

The work you’ve described has been for lead-acid batteries. Do you ever see your research translating to something that might impact the everyday person?

Lead-acid battery recycling is the most polluting industrial process in the world. There are toxic metals involved, which means this process can harm people’s health and cause issues in ecosystems.

Our approach can be used to improve the lifetime of many types of commercial lead-acid batteries in a simple, non-polluting approach to decrease the associated pollution from the present recycling industry. From a humanitarian perspective, this could also decrease health issues faced by millions of people working in or affected by the lead-acid battery recycling industry, especially in developing countries.

The model system that I have been working with is also similar to car batteries. We have optimized our system for commercial batteries, and essentially, we have encouraging results indicating that this method works.  A lot of optimization still needs to be done, but right now, we have a proof of concept, which I think is very exciting for moving forward.

This research work was selected as a finalist in the university’s 2024 Research Live competition and is currently being evaluated for potential commercialization.

Have there been any obstacles you have faced in your research or academic career? Who or what pushed you to keep going?

All of the obstacles I have faced were due to COVID-19 in some way. The initial shutdown occurred in the first year of my Ph.D. I had just begun to adjust to my new program, and then also had to adjust to new restrictions. There were times that we could not go into the lab which caused large delays in my work.

My biggest struggle, however, is that I am a very people-oriented person. I love meeting new people and collaborating. This isolation was extremely difficult for me, which affected my confidence in myself and my work.

One thing that pushed me to keep going was my TA position for MSE 405: Microstructure Determination. During the COVID-19 shutdown, I had to record the experiments for students and do extra work for each project, but I really enjoyed it. At times, my students were some of the only contacts I had, and teaching and mentoring truly encouraged me.

Describe a transformative moment or experience you have had at Beckman.

I could never point to one single experience, but it was more about finding a community in my lab. This happened once the university fully opened up again after the COVID-19 shutdown. I was able to interact with my mentors more, which was amazing because everybody at Beckman is so knowledgeable and supportive. Many people helped me during my journey, whether it was in experiments or discussions. This is when I found my ground at Beckman. Even when I made a mistake in the lab, I still felt supported during this period.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become involved in research similar to yours? What advice would you give to yourself 5 years ago?

There are three things I would suggest to someone who wants to be involved in research, which is the same advice I would give to my younger self.

First, you should try to find a great mentor. This will help you in your research and your academics in so many ways. All of my mentors have helped me fit into the research community, but they have also pushed me to keep going many times. They also help me look at problems from new perspectives.

Second, you should find a hobby completely separate from your research and academics. This will help you find new communities to help you maintain balance. For example, I’ve been involved with the Indian Graduate Students Association, which has really helped me find balance between research and my personal life. We’ve held multiple events that I have helped plan, from our Bollywood night to our Diwali celebration.

Third, you should make sure to take care of yourself. I make sure to eat well, which is something I advise the students I work with as a TA. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can be easy, but it isn’t good for you in the long run. I actually contacted a dietitian at the McKinley Health Center, who helped me create a healthy diet that I can manage while focusing on other things as well.

What do you hope to accomplish upon completion of your Ph.D.? How has your work so far prepared you for this?

Right now, I hope to go into industry or work at a national laboratory to explore more of the economic aspects of refurbishing batteries. I would love to explore the economic aspect of in-situ refurbishing and recycling in general since there is amazing chemistry behind these processes.

Research and working in industry are two different experiences, but are still related. I would be able to transfer my knowledge and research from my Ph.D. program and use it in the field, just related to the economic aspects. I also believe that my learning is never complete; I will always keep learning and keep my mind on, which is something that will be beneficial in the long run.