PNNL scientists spice up electrolyte solution to increase charge cycles
When it comes to the special sauce of batteries, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered it’s all about the salt concentration. By getting the right amount of salt, right where they want it, they’ve demonstrated a small lithium-metal battery can re-charge about seven times more than batteries with conventional electrolytes.
A battery’s electrolyte solution shuttles charged atoms between electrodes to generate electricity. Finding an electrolyte solution that doesn’t corrode the electrodes in a lithium-metal battery is a challenge but the PNNL approach, published online in Advanced Materials, successfully creates a protective layer around the electrodes and achieves significantly increased charge/discharge cycles.
Conventional electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries, which power household electronics like computers and cell phones, are not suitable for lithium-metal batteries. Lithium-metal batteries that replace a graphite electrode with a lithium electrode are the ‘holy grail’ of energy storage systems because lithium has a greater storage capacity and, therefore, a lithium-metal battery has double or triple the storage capacity. That extra power enables electric vehicles to drive more than two times longer between charges.
Adding more lithium-based salt to the liquid electrolyte mix creates a more stable interface between the electrolyte and the electrodes which, in turn, affects the life of the battery. But that high concentration of salt comes with distinct downsides — including the high cost of lithium salt. The high concentration also increases viscosity and lowers conductivity of the ions through the electrolyte.
“We were trying to preserve the advantage of the high concentration of salt, but offset the disadvantages,” said Ji-Guang “Jason” Zhang, a senior battery researcher at PNNL. “By combining a fluorine-based solvent to dilute the high concentration electrolyte, our team was able to significantly lower the total lithium salt concentration yet keep its benefits.”
In this process, they were able to localize the high concentrations of lithium-based salt into “clusters” which are able to still form protective barriers on the electrode and prevent the growth of dendrites — microscopic, pin-like fibers — that cause rechargeable batteries to short circuit and limit their life span.
PNNL’s patent-pending electrolyte was tested in PNNL’s Advanced Battery Facility on an experimental battery cell similar in size to a watch battery. It was able to retain 80 percent of its initial charge after 700 cycles of discharging and recharging. A battery using a standard electrolyte can only maintain its charge for about 100 cycles.
Researchers will test this localized high concentration electrolyte on ‘pouch’ batteries developed at the lab, which are the size and power of a cell phone battery, to see how it performs at that scale. They say the concept of using this novel fluorine-based diluent to manipulate salt concentration also works well for sodium-metal batteries and other metal batteries.
Learn more: Research hints at double the driving range for electric vehicles
The Latest on: Rechargeable battery
[google_news title=”” keyword=”rechargeable battery” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Rechargeable battery
- Breakthrough in Sodium Battery Chemistry Promises Lower Costson April 27, 2024 at 12:00 pm
A new mass synthesis process for sodium-containing sulfides could make all-solid-state sodium batteries more affordable and safer than lithium-ion batteries.
- A framework to compare lithium battery testing data and results during operationon April 26, 2024 at 3:50 am
Reliably monitoring the amount of lithium (Li) present in rechargeable batteries, specifically in the so-called cathode active material (CAM), is key to understanding the condition of batteries from ...
- Schneider Electric Launches All-In-One Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Microgridson April 25, 2024 at 11:07 pm
Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced the launch of its latest ...
- Using sodium to develop rechargeable batteries may bolster the EU's green ambitionson April 25, 2024 at 10:41 am
A green industrial future for Europe may depend on an element that is part of a household staple: table salt. Dr. John Abou-Rjeily, a researcher at Tiamat Energy in France, is using sodium to develop ...
- ‘A ticking time bomb’: Family’s plea on battery fires after their home is charred, pets goneon April 25, 2024 at 10:26 am
One dog, Milly, was rescued by a passing tradie who threw a brick through a second-storey window allowing the dog to jump out. But their spoodle dog, Lucy, and cat Daisy were trapped upstairs and died ...
- Schneider Electric Releases All-In-One Battery Energy Storage System for Microgridson April 25, 2024 at 9:13 am
As part of a microgrid system, BESS captures energy from different sources, accumulates this energy, and stores it in rechargeable batteries for later use. Battery energy storage is the distributed ...
- The latest battery-powered Ring doorbell is at its lowest price everon April 25, 2024 at 7:08 am
If you've put off setting up a home security system, take the first step by snagging this Ring doorbell at Amazon.
- Charges in seconds: Breakthrough with sodium batteryon April 25, 2024 at 2:13 am
According to Korean researchers, they have achieved a "breakthrough" in charging sodium batteries. They were able to charge and discharge them in ...
- EZVIZ further simplifies front-door security with its latest dual-lens battery video doorbell that can smartly use solar poweron April 24, 2024 at 1:00 am
EZVIZ, a global leader in smart home security, has achieved a significant milestone in its smart entry lineup by launching the EP3x Pro, ...
via Bing News