Guest_Jim_* Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 Lithium ion batteries are a modern marvel thanks to their high energy density enabling even small devices to keep a long charge. Of course we want the charges to last even longer, and for the batteries to be safer, so a lot of work is being done to find new solutions. One possibility is to switch to solid state electrodes, instead of the modern liquid organic solvents, and new research from MIT may make that possibility more real than ever. Being a liquid allows modern electrolytes to carry charges easily, but that mobility comes with costs, including fire risks. A solid state electrolyte does not burn though, and puncturing it also does not pose a danger. A battery using a solid state electrolyte could also survive hundreds of thousands of power cycles, which is far greater than any modern battery. Actually making such an electrolyte has proven difficult though, but the MIT researchers have managed to identify multiple factors that influence the efficiency of ion conduction within solids. So far the work has focused on superionic lithium-ion conductors including lithium, germanium, phosphorus, and sulfur, but it should be possible to expand the work to other materials. Potentially these other materials could be even better. In addition to the safety benefits, solid state electrolytes could also operate at lower temperatures and provide a power density 20 to 30% greater. This work was done as part of a partnership with Samsung, so the potential for commercialization has almost certainly been investigated. Source: MIT Back to original news post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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