The description of a triple-layer polymer electrolyte being developed at a lab in South Korea at times calls to mind a candy bar. It has a "soft outer surface" and a "robust middle layer."
While absent a creamy caramel center, the crucial battery component could provide better fire safety — as it can extinguish its own flames — as well as have greater longevity than other packs. Those are important metrics for battery developers in the effort to provide a cheaper, better-performing unit, all according to a lab report from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology.
"This research is anticipated to make a significant contribution to the commercialization of lithium metal batteries using [solid polymer] electrolytes, while providing enhanced stability and efficiency [to] energy storage devices," principal researcher Kim Jae-hyun said.
The battery includes two promising technologies. It's a lithium metal pack, using lithium as an anode material instead of graphite. Lithium metal offers reliable, long-lasting, and high-capacity storage. But the tech suffers some problems during operation that have limited its use, all per ScienceDirect. For its part, graphite is subject to sometimes troublesome foreign supply chains.
Secondly, solid electrolytes are being developed by experts at Harvard University and elsewhere because of better fire safety, reliability, and longevity, according to ScienceDirect. High cost, and the absence of a scalable manufacturing process, are some of the cons highlighted by Top Speed.
When batteries operate, ions move between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte, regardless if it's a solid or liquid, as detailed by the U.S. Department of Energy.
DGIST's triple-layer electrolyte could solve some of the problems that have held the tech back as a mainstream power source for electric vehicles, smartphones, and even large-scale energy storage.
A key problem with conventional solid polymer electrolytes is dendrite formation. These metal, branch-like structures grow inside batteries as they cycle, causing shorts.
As part of the triple-layer approach, the Korean electrolyte includes decabromodiphenyl ethane, a flame retardant, for self-extinguishing fire safety. Conflagrations are a concern for common lithium-ion packs. The flammable components can be a part of terrible blazes and explosions, though they are rare.
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Cost 💰 DGIST also added zeolite to provide strength. Lastly, a heavy dose of lithium salt ensures ions are moving well, all per DGIST.
The pack performed strongly during testing. The different layers worked to boost mechanical strength and electrode contact, leading to an 87.9% performance retention after 1,000 cycles. That's an improvement over the 70% to 80% mark notched by most common packs, all according to the lab summary.
Batteries continue to set impressive milestones as EVs and energy storage play bigger roles in our cleaner energy and transportation systems. Each EV that replaces a gas-burning car prevents thousands of pounds of air pollution a year, per U.S. government data.
Big batteries such as Tesla's Megapack are already storing intermittent renewable energy for later use, supporting the grid during peak demand.
It's all part of the way we can reduce troublesome heat-trapping air pollution, linked by NASA to increased risks for severe weather and even wildfires. University of California, Los Angeles, climate scientist David Swain told NBC News that our changing climate is contributing to dry vegetation during winter along with high winds. The combination is part of the reason the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was so terrible.
Even small steps to reduce planet-warming fumes can make a difference. Try unplugging unused chargers and devices. In addition to saving energy, you can cut your power bill by up to $165 a year.
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