A protective film that's a fraction of the width of a human hair has the potential to make promising lithium-metal batteries safer, longer-lasting, and more efficient.
These batteries are being eyed by experts around the world for use in electric vehicles because of their potential to boost driving range.
One of the latest breakthroughs is being developed at Korea University. According to a lab report, it involves a "simple silver ion process" geared to drive faster commercialization of the promising pack type. The ultra-thin film is made of alternating layers of silver ions and trithiocyanuric acid.
Lithium metal cells, which use lithium as an anode instead of common graphite, are being heavily researched in China, partly because of the setup's high storage capacity and low voltage loss.
However, troublesome dendrites — metallic branch-like formations that grow during operation — are one of the problems that can cause failure inside the cells, per KU's team.
When packs operate, ions move between two electrodes through a substance called electrolyte. Battery innovators are trying to develop less-expensive, better-performing materials to form those key parts. Other researchers in South Korea are working on dendrite remedies for other battery types.
At KU, results show that its team's lithium electrode interface can be controlled with silver ions.
As Professor Cho Jin-han, the research lead, said in the report, it can be done "without requiring a complicated synthesis process."
The silver-stacked film is supported by a nickel-fiber plate and is less than 40 nanometers in width. A human hair is 60,000 nanometers thick, according to the National Institutes of Health. The film can be made at room temperature with "ambient pressure," the team said.
The silver aids lithium placement while the rest of the layers serve as protection and as a dendrite deterrent. During testing, battery cells with the film survived 2,000 hours of cycling, maintaining 96% of their capacity during 1,300 charge-discharge rounds, according to the report.
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The findings demonstrate "the potential for the development of next-generation metal batteries with an extended lifespan," the summary continued.
If the packs can boost EV performance, it could help to encourage more motorists to make the switch to a cleaner ride.
EVs are a boon on the road for a variety of reasons, including no need for expensive dirty fuel and limited maintenance costs. EV owners can save up to $1,500 annually through reduced expenses on those fronts.
When paired with home solar, the cleaner tech becomes a powerful tandem, as free electricity generated via the sun can charge your cleaner ride.
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Each EV that replaces a gas car also prevents thousands of pounds of heat-trapping air pollution yearly, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That means each EV trip can avoid the fumes that harm community health.
As one example of air pollution's hazards, Texas A&M was part of an urban study that found that microscopic particulate matter in exhaust is linked to birth defects.
In Korea, the experts are working on tech to tackle the minuscule pollution problem using extremely small components of their own. They see potential for the film to be applied to a variety of pack types, per the summary.
"In the future, it could evolve into a technology platform that can be extended to lithium and various metal batteries such as sodium and zinc," Cho said, per Interesting Engineering.
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