Secret Life of Lithium-Rich Batteries Revealed

Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr +

Most batteries powering laptops, phones and electric vehicles shuttle lithium ions between their electrodes as they charge and discharge. The more of these ions battery makers pack in, theoretically the more energy they store. But there is a catch. Because they are only able to release half these ions and this limits the extent of their usefulness.

The Secret Life of Lithium-Rich Batteries Exposed

Conventional lithium batteries work that way because their cathodes have alternating layers of lithium, teamed with nickel or cobalt. And their lithium ions “snag” a metal atom every time they travel to the anode. This process is necessary before electrical energy can pass between commercial lithium battery terminals.

Stanford University scientists have experimented with new, alternative lithium-rich batteries to understand the process. They have been sharing ideas with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. As a result they now have what they call a “foundational understanding of how lithium-rich batteries are like “super absorbent sponges”.

Watch a Lithium Rich Battery in Action

What the Scientists Discovered about Lithium-Rich Batteries

“An unusual feature of lithium-rich cathodes is the electron comes from the oxygen rather than the transition metal.” A SLAC National Laboratory co-author goes on to explain “Moreover this process, called oxygen oxidation, enables cathodes to extract about 90 percent of the lithium.

“Plus this is at a high enough voltage that it boosts the energy stored in the battery.” Phys Org magazine adds. “Yanking the electron from oxygen makes it want to form another bond.”  And then transition metal atoms have to move around to accommodate that bond, changing the atomic structure.

“Oxygen oxidation giving rise to extra energy density … is therefore potentially a game changer in electric vehicles,” the researchers promise. We are excited with their findings and we wish them every success in future.

Related

3D-Printed Lithium-Ion Batteries on Cards

Back to Basics with Lithium-Ion Batteries

Preview Image: Lithium Rich Battery – The Difference

Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/OCEk5PeaRh4

Share.

About Author

I tripped over a shrinking bank balance and fell into the writing gig unintentionally. This was after I escaped the corporate world and searched in vain for ways to become rich on the internet by doing nothing. Despite the fact that writing is no recipe for wealth, I rather enjoy it. I will not deny I am obsessed with it when I have the time. I live in Margate on the Kwazulu-Natal south coast of South Africa. I work from home where I ponder on the future of the planet, and what lies beyond in the great hereafter. Sometimes I step out of my computer into the silent riverine forests, and empty golden beaches for which the area is renowned. Richard

Leave A Reply