MILAN – Are lithium-ion batteries about to retire?
It’s too early to write and say, but there are many other formulas, which many research groups are working on. Surely the ultimate goal is: to put an end to recharging anxiety, to create batteries with great autonomy and able to fill up with energy in a very short time.
From Illinois comes a study by the Institute of Technology and the Argonne National Laboratory, where the lithium-air battery is being developed.
The study focuses on obtaining a lithium-air battery of a solid electrolyte, which the researchers replaced with the liquid one used until now.
Basically to make the battery work, the lithium ions during the discharge move from a metal lithium anode to the cathode. Thus, combining with oxygen they generate lithium peroxide and lithium superoxide.
In this regard, Larry Curtiss, a researcher at the Argonne National Laboratory, states in a note: “The lithium-air battery is the one with the highest energy density ever. If one is to look at high-performance batteries of a generation after lithium-ion, then lithium-air technology holds the most promise.”
The solid electrolyte, during the discharge, produces lithium oxide made of ceramic material with a porous structure.
In summary, the study shows that by adding the advantages of the lithium-air battery to those of the solid electrolyte, an accumulator could have a density four times greater than that of current batteries.
Indeed, Larry Curtiss adds: “The chemical reaction for lithium superoxide or peroxide involves only one or two stored electrons per oxygen molecule, whereas that for lithium oxide involves 4 electrons. More stored electrons means higher energy density. With further development, we expect our new lithium-air battery design to also achieve a record energy density of 1200 wh/kg. That’s nearly four times better than lithium-ion batteries.”
https://www.repubblica.it/motori/sezioni/attualita/2023/06/16/news/rivoluzione_batterie_1000_chilometri_di_autonomia_e_18_minuti_per_ricaricarla_ecco_il_segreto-404648334/
It’s not the first time we’ve heard of a similar project. Attention, this differs because the battery is able to operate at room temperature and maintains constant performance, even using the oxygen present in the air. So it is not necessary to use tanks to be filled with gas.
The duration of the new lithium-air battery, with solid electrolyte, surpasses all other accumulators, especially as demonstrated by the tests carried out, it is able to withstand 1000 charge and discharge cycles.
In conclusion, on balance an electric car equipped with this accumulator could travel up to 1,500 km, without worrying about filling up on tap.