. | . |
Self-healing tech charges up performance for silicon-containing battery anodes by Staff Writers Champaign IL (SPX) May 26, 2017
Researchers at the University of Illinois have found a way to apply self-healing technology to lithium-ion batteries to make them more reliable and last longer. The group developed a battery that uses a silicon nanoparticle composite material on the negatively charged side of the battery and a novel way to hold the composite together - a known problem with batteries that contain silicon. Materials science and engineering professor Nancy Sottos and aerospace engineering professor Scott White led the study published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. "This work is particularly new to self-healing materials research because it is applied to materials that store energy," White said. "It's a different type of objective altogether. Instead of recovering structural performance, we're healing the ability to store energy." The negatively charged electrode, or anode, inside the lithium-ion batteries that power our portable devices and electric cars are typically made of a graphite particle composite. These batteries work well, but it takes a long time for them to power up, and over time, the charge does not last as long as it did when the batteries were new. "Silicon has such a high capacity, and with that high capacity, you get more energy out of your battery, except it also undergoes a huge volume expansion as it cycles and self-pulverizes," Sottos said. Past research found that battery anodes made from nanosized silicon particles are less likely to break down, but suffer from other problems. "You go through the charge-discharge cycle once, twice, three times, and eventually you lose capacity because the silicon particles start to break away from the binder," White said. To combat this problem, the group further refined the silicon anode by giving it the ability to fix itself on the fly. This self-healing happens through a reversible chemical bond at the interface between the silicon nanoparticles and polymer binder. "This dynamic re-bonding process essentially holds the silicon particles and polymer binder together, significantly improving the long-term performance of the electrode," Sottos said. The researchers tested their new battery against one that does not use the reversible chemical bonding and found that it retains 80 percent of its initial capacity, even after 400 cycles. These batteries also have a much higher energy density, meaning that they can store more electricity than a graphite-anode battery of the same size. "The higher the energy density, the better. The other option is to add more batteries, but that gets heavy and is an issue with electric cars, in particular," Sottos said. Future studies will include looking at how this self-healing technology can work with solid-state batteries, the researchers said. Reports of fires and explosions caused by the liquids in lithium-ion batteries are urging scientists to move in this direction.
Champaign IL (SPX) May 15, 2017 The process that makes gold-plated jewelry or chrome car accents is now making powerful lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Xerion Advanced Battery Corporation and Nanjing University in China developed a method for electroplating lithium-ion battery cathodes, yielding high-quality, high-performance battery materials that could also open the door to flexible an ... read more Related Links University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |