New breakthrough in solid-state battery technology: 1.5v dry cell battery energy density doubled and more “lightweight”

　　Two scientists from Australia's Deakin University have used a common commercial polymer to create a solid-state electrolyte, opening the door to doubling the energy density of solid-state lithium batteries and making them immune to the problems that have plagued previous Samsung phones. The battery catches fire or overheats and explodes.

　　Dr. Fangfang Chen and Dr. Wang Xiaoen Wang, researchers at the university's Institute of Frontier Materials, said this means that lithium-ion batteries will no longer pose a fire hazard because the volatile liquid electrolytes used in them will be replaced by solid polymer materials.

　　In April 2017, two University of Texas researchers, one of whom was 1.5v dry cell battery co-inventor John Goodenough, announced a low-cost, all-solid-state battery that would not burn.

　　Dr. Chen said the duo reshaped the way polymers interact with lithium salts, eliminating the often highly flammable nature of traditional lithium batteries. The highly volatile liquid electrolytes currently commonly used will be replaced by solid polymer materials.

　　"All of the products we use to make battery processes safer are already on the market. Polymers have been used as battery conductors for more than 50 years, but ours is the first to use an existing commercial polymer in a way to improve.”

　　"Our findings suggest that next-generation batteries will be safer and perform better."

　　"From what we found, this electrolyte will allow us to use lithium metal anodes, which will allow future batteries to last twice as long as they currently do on a single charge. Additionally, the size and weight of the batteries could also be reduced by half, while No impact on normal performance."

　　Dr. Wang said this could be a way to double the energy density of lithium batteries, which currently peak at about 250Wh/kg (in Tesla's Model 3 battery packs) in a commercial setting. Increasing it to 500Wh/kg can extend the cruising range of electric vehicles.

　　Dr Chen said the discovery could change the way batteries are handled in daily life. "We do this by weakly binding lithium ions to a polymer, forming a solid polymer electrolyte. We believe this is the first clear and useful example in the scientific community of liquid-free and efficient transport of lithium ions."

　　They envision a future where battery-related equipment could be safely stowed in aircraft luggage, or where electric cars wouldn't pose the fire hazard they currently are to drivers or emergency services personnel.

　　The process has been demonstrated in coin cells, and the next step is to expand the batteries into larger applications, such as for smartphones, computers and electric vehicles. Dr. Wang said that the manufacturing and testing of pouch batteries has begun at the state-of-the-art battery technology research and innovation center at Deakin University in Australia. “Once we reach bag size, we hope to attract collaboration with industry partners.”

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