Scientists have come up with a new
way to improve the safety and performance of all-solid-state lithium metal
batteries (ASSLMBs), the next-generation energy source technology that is set
to power everything from electric vehicles to renewable energy grids.
Most batteries that are in common
use today contain flammable liquid electrolytes. The next evolution in
batteries is the ASSLMB, which replaces the flammable liquid with a
non-flammable solid material to move electrical charge between electrodes. While they are significantly safer, there is a
critical flaw that prevents them from being reliable and long-lasting. That is,
repeated charging and discharging cause gaps to form between the solid lithium
metal anode and the solid electrolyte, which means the battery quickly breaks down and stops working.
To solve this problem, researchers
from the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a self-healing layer they call
DAI (Dynamically Adaptive Interphase) that keeps the battery connected.
As the team describes in a
paper published in the journal Nature Sustainability,
DAI introduces mobile iodide ions into the solid electrolyte when the battery
is operating, which move to fill any gaps that appear. This dynamic layer acts
as a continuous seal that keeps the layers connected and the battery working.
It reduces the need to squeeze the battery layers with high external pressure,
the current complicated and impractical fix.
The results from laboratory tests
of the batteries were remarkable. Full battery cells retained over 90% of their
energy capacity, even after 2,400 charge and discharge cycles. To demonstrate
the technology's real-world potential, the team also assembled and tested a
pouch cell, a type of battery commonly used in modern electronics and electric vehicles. It maintained 74.4% of its capacity after 300 cycles while no external
pressure was applied.
The future of batteries?
DAI is only in its early stages of
development, but if scaled up, it would be a game-changer. "The DAI
strategy represents a paradigm shift in solid-state battery design,
accelerating the practical implementation of high-energy and sustainable electrochemical
storage systems in current energy networks," commented the researchers in
their paper.
The self-healing solution developed by the scientists could pave the way for safer and greener batteries that last for many years. The technology could also lead to electric vehicles with longer ranges and more reliable and sustainable grid storage facilities. When it comes to manufacturing, not having to include high-pressure systems inside battery packs will make it simpler and more cost-effective to produce them on a massive scale.
Source: Self-healing layer improves the safety and lifespan of all-solid-state lithium batteries
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