A group of Chinese researchers is involved in complicated battery science geared to provide promising lithium-metal batteries with longer life spans, as noted in a story by Tech Xplore.
The team led by the University of Science and Technology of China touts the pack type as a superior alternative to common lithium-ion batteries, despite being short-lived. With current tech, it's a difference of 50 cycles for lithium-metal to around 1,000 for lithium-ion, per the report. But if a new electrolyte the experts are developing can extend lithium-metal service time to come closer to the life span of lithium-ion, the results could be game-changing — potentially doubling electric vehicle range — they said in the Tech Xplore story.
They even use a biblical comparison to drive home the significance of the pouch cell innovation.
"Li-metal batteries are the holy grail of the battery field and viewed as a promising next-generation battery technique, because they have ultra-high energy density … greater than two-fold compared with today's lithium-ion batteries dominating the battery market, which means that if we can replace lithium-ion batteries with lithium-metal batteries, the range of electric vehicles can be doubled per charge," professor Shuhong Jiao, a study co-author, said in the summary.
It all starts in the electrolyte, the crucial substance in power packs where ions travel between the anode and cathode during operation. The experts developed a version that stabilizes the reactions between the internal battery parts, addressing the creation of troublesome dendrites. The University of Maryland describes the growths as metal, branch-like structures that can trigger battery failure and even safety concerns.
The UST team worked with other experts to study and create an electrolyte that leverages solvation to extend life and reduce degradation, according to the Tech Xplore story. An abstract of the work published by Nature provides some detail on how the electrolyte and the chemistry involved evolved.
"The electrolyte features a unique nanometer-scale solvation structure in which ion pairs are densely packed … in contrast to conventional electrolytes that comprise small aggregates," per the summary.
The experts told Tech Xplore that the components in their electrolyte are abundant and cheap, a key factor in battery development.
Lithium-metal science is one of numerous battery innovations in development in labs around the world. Texas-based Group1 is working on a potassium power pack. The United Kingdom's Nyobolt has a battery for EVs that can charge up to 80% in under five minutes.
Improved batteries can help to lower the cost of EVs and improve performance. EV sales set a U.S. record at 1.2 million vehicles last year, per Cox Automotive. The International Energy Agency reports that global EV sales remained strong during the first quarter of 2024, surpassing 3 million. That's a 25% increase during the same time period in 2023, the summary stated.
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Stateside, the sales are incentivized by tax breaks of up to $7,500 for qualified rides. You can then save an additional estimated $1,500 on gas and maintenance costs, all while cutting harmful, heat-trapping exhaust. The fumes are linked by medical experts to a range of health risks, including exposure to known carcinogens.
Back in the lab, the Chinese battery researchers may be on their way to another breakthrough to help expand cleaner tech. The Tech Xplore report noted that the team's cell retained 91% of its energy after 130 cycles. "We are now planning to further prolong the cycle life of … lithium-metal pouch cells to more than 1,000 cycles," Jiao said in the summary.
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