Experts at Japan's Doshisha University are working to eliminate a key problem facing silicon-based, solid-state batteries. If successful, their work could help to improve electric vehicle performance with next-gen power storers.
The issue is that when these theoretically more durable packs operate, the silicon anode expands and contracts. This causes stress, cracking, and sometimes failure, according to a lab summary published by EurekAlert.
In response, the researchers tried adding pores to the silicon oxide anode to see if the voids provided relief.
Fascinatingly, "the highly porous … electrodes offered much better cycling performance compared to non-porous," per the summary.
Silicon anodes and solid-state tech are being researched in other labs, as well. Porsche is among companies investing in solid-state research, with great performance results.
Silicon is touted by experts as an effective electrode material because it is abundant, is available at a lower cost than commonly used graphite, and can store more lithium, as noted by AZo Materials.
Solid-state packs are potentially lighter, provide better fire safety, charge faster, and have longer lifespans than liquid-based batteries. But making them at scale has been a key hurdle, as reported by Top Speed. Liquid versions are flammable and carry rare yet serious fire risks.
When batteries operate, ions move through the electrolyte between the anode and cathode, as described by the Department of Energy.
At Doshisha, the team made its porous anode, solid-electrolyte pack using, in part, radiofrequency sputtering. The technique involves a high-frequency alternating electric field, as described by ScienceDirect. The experts studied the cells' performance using electron microscopes.
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Good driving range 🔋 And the porous product garnered positive results.
"Though the initially observed pore structure of porous [anode] collapsed through repeated expansion and contraction, the remaining pores still served as a buffer against the internal and interfacial stresses. This ultimately helped maintain the interfacial joint between the electrode and the electrolyte," research team lead professor Takayuki Doi said in the summary.
Importantly, the pores allowed for thicker electrodes to survive cycling, boosting energy density, or the amount of electricity that can be stored per pound, EurekAlert's report continued.
Improved solid-state batteries could help to unlock better-performing EVs. While range anxiety and fire safety are already fading concerns thanks to ever-improving products, porous silicon could take performance to another level.
The developments are crucial as our transportation system continues to transition to battery power, even in the heavy-duty segment. Everyday motorists can save up to $1,500 a year on gas and maintenance by making the switch. EV drivers also prevent thousands of pounds of heat-trapping air pollution a year when parking a gas-burning ride, per the DOE. Government health experts link vehicle exhaust to lung, heart, and other health risks, too.
For now, Doshisha's experts said that more research is needed before their findings can be applied in the market, according to EurekAlert.
"We expect the results of our research to make a multifaceted contribution toward sustainable development goals, not only in terms of climate change countermeasures based on the reduction of carbon emissions, but also in terms of economic growth and urban development," Doi said in the summary.
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