. 24/7 Space News .
ENERGY TECH
Rare glassy metal discovered by scientists studying lithium batteries
by Brooks Hays
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 28, 2020

stock illustration only

Scientists have discovered a rare glassy metal that could help researchers build more efficient batteries, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Materials.

During experiments, material scientists from the University of California San Diego and Idaho National Laboratory found that when they slowed down the recharging process in lithium batteries, they were able to achieve an improved performance.

The slowdown caused the battery electrodes to accumulate atoms in a disorganized fashion, researchers said.

During the slowed-down recharging process, researchers observed a noncrystalline glassy lithium, a never-before-seen form of lithium.

In addition to improving battery performance, researchers suggest their experiments could be used to identify other rare glassy metals.

During the battery recharging process, lithium atoms are deposited on the surface of the anode -- the positively charged end of the cell. Because the deposition follows erratic patterns, charging performance often varies.

Researchers hypothesized that deposition patterns are dictated by the accumulation of the first few lithium atoms, which is called the nucleation process.

"That initial nucleation may affect your battery performance, safety and reliability," Gorakh Pawar, researcher at the Idaho National Laboratory, said in a news release.

Scientists used a powerful electron microscope with liquid-nitrogen cooling to watch the atomic embryos that begin the nucleation process. Computer models helped the researchers interpret the images.

The researchers realized certain recharging conditions yielded amorphous, glass-like lithium, instead of crystalline lithium.

"True teamwork enabled us to interpret the experimental data with confidence because the computational modeling helped decipher the complexity," said corresponding author Shirley Meng, professor of nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego.

Previously, scientists have had to use alloys -- mixtures of different metals -- to produce glassy metals. The latest discovery marks the first time scientists have directly observed a pure amorphous metal.

When glassy metal began the nucleation process, the lithium embryos were more likely to remain amorphous throughout the charging process, improving battery performance.

Researchers found a slower deposition rate allowed for the formation of glassy metal embryos, the opposite of what scientists expected. They originally hypothesized that a slower deposition rate would allow atoms to assemble into more rigid formations.

After using computer algorithms to identify the ideal conditions for the formation of glassy metals, scientists successfully produced glassy forms of four more reactive metals.

In addition to improving battery performance, the researchers suggest their work could inspire the creation of glassy metals for a variety applications.


Related Links
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


ENERGY TECH
New room-temperature liquid-metal battery could be the path to powering the future
Austin TX (SPX) Jul 13, 2020
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have built a new type of battery that combines the many benefits of existing options while eliminating their key shortcomings and saving energy. Most batteries are composed of either solid-state electrodes, such as lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics, or liquid-state electrodes, including flow batteries for smart grids. The UT researchers have created what they call a "room-temperature all-liquid-meta ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ENERGY TECH
Duckweed is an incredible, radiation-fighting astronaut food

Spacewalk on Tuesday will conclude space station power upgrade

NASA scientist over the Moon with homegrown radish research

Astronauts conclude third spacewalk on historic SpaceX mission

ENERGY TECH
Arianespace to launch three satellites towards Geostationary Orbit on July 28

NASA Teams Load Artemis I Rocket Hardware on Barge for Trip to Kennedy

Two US astronauts to come home on SpaceX ship on August 2

Rocket to lift Mars probe moved to launch pad

ENERGY TECH
Perseverance microphones fulfill long campaign to hear sounds from Mars

ESA tunes up Mars rover for challenges ahead

China launches Mars probe in space race with US

Emirates launches first Mars probe with help from UC Berkeley

ENERGY TECH
China marching to Mars for humanity's better shared future

From the Moon to Mars: China's long march in space

Tianwen 1 probe to soon blast off for Mars

China's newest carrier rocket fails in debut mission

ENERGY TECH
British defense ministry, Airbus finalize $628.5M contract for Skynet upgrade

Airbus expands its SpaceDataHighway with second satellite

China launches new commercial telecommunication satellite

Satellite for US Air Force launched as part of L3Harris' Responsive Constellation Contract

ENERGY TECH
Microsoft sees growth amid pandemic computing demands

Coronavirus boon for Poland's vibrant gaming sector

Loft Orbital selects LeoStella to supply satellites for Space Infrastructure-as-a-Service

AFRL and Compass Technology Group collaborate on specialty material techniques

ENERGY TECH
Exoplanet rediscovery is step toward finding habitable planets

First ever image of a multi-planet system around a sun-like star captured by ESO telescope

Could mini-Neptunes be irradiated ocean planets

Astronomers track down 'lost' worlds spotted but unconfirmed by TESS survey

ENERGY TECH
NASA Juno takes first images of Ganymede's North Pole

Subaru Telescope and New Horizons explore the outer Solar System

The collective power of the solar system's dark, icy bodies

Ocean in Jupiter's moon Europa "could be habitable"









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.