Solid-state lithium-ion battery

Solid-state lithium-ion batteries replace the liquid electrolyte with a solid material (Solid-state battery). Some designs also eliminate binders and separators.^[1] Solid-state designs do not overheat or catch fire, because the solid electrolyte prevents dendrites from creating short circuits.^[2] Acceptance of solid state electrolytes has been limited by the poor conductance of such materials.^[3]

Research

In 2014, researchers at Sakti3 announced a solid state electrolyte lithium-ion battery that the company claimed doubles energy density for one fifth of the cost. The company has yet to release details on the materials and construction of its device.^[4]

In 2014, researchers from University of Kentucky developed a way to prevent overcharging using organic compounds. Transporting electrons between battery electrodes when excessive current is applied to fully charged batteries prevents this.^[5]

In 2014 Toyota was developing solid state battery systems for automotive use.^[6]

In 2015, researchers announced a solid-state battery that replaced the graphite anode with a sheet of lithium-metal foil. The solid electrolyte is a thin layer applied to the lithium-metal foil. The short distance the ions travel through the solid material has little effect on overall electrolyte conductivity. The liquid electrolyte also has additives that prevent dendrites from forming. The developer claimed that its prototype can be recharged 300 times while retaining 80 percent of its original storage capacity and at room temperature.^[3]

In 2016, researchers announced a solid-state battery that resolved the high impedance problem by using an ultra-thin layer of aluminum oxide between the lithium electrode and the solid state "garnet" electrolyte.^[7]

In March 2017, researchers announced a solid-state battery called a glass battery which has a glass electrolyte doped with lithium, oxygen and chlorine ions,^[8] and with 3 times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries. An extended life of more than 1,200 cycles was demonstrated.

Standard lithium ion batteries cause significant contamination of soil as a biproduct of lithium extraction as noted by an Ohio State research study. Rare metals are mined in China by passing bags of dirt through several acid baths, leaving behind the rare materials. “Those rare earths amounted to 0.2 percent of what gets pull out of the ground. The other 99.8 percent-now contaminated with toxic chemicals-is dumped back into the environment” (Wade, 2016)^[9]

This new solid state glass battery does away with the lithium extraction, as detailed in the University of Texas article announcing the invention.

“The glass electrolytes allow for the substitution of low-cost sodium for lithium. Sodium is extracted from seawater that is widely available,” Braga said.^[10][11]

See also

• Lithium-ion battery
• List of battery types
• Comparison of battery types

References