Audi Activesphere Concept is luxury crossover that turns into a pickup

More

Volkswagen Group delivered 572,100 all-electric vehicles in 2022

More

Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV revealed at the Brussels Motor Show

More

Ram Unveils 1500 Revolution BEV Concept In Las Vegas

More

Truemag

  • Electric Car News
  • Electric Car Reviews
  • Plug-in Hybrids
  • Technology
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Charging Map

Scientists develop long-life electrode material for solid-state batteries ideal for EVs

Scientists have developed a positive electrode material that doesn’t diminish after repeated charging cycles, for the manufacture of durable solid-state batteries.

Electric cars are widely regarded as our best bet to replace conventional cars with a more environment-friendly alternative. However, electric cars and other electric vehicles will most likely run on lithium-ion batteries, which currently don’t deliver the necessary performance and durability at a reasonable price.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs), however, have gained much traction over the past few years among researchers looking for alternatives. While conventional lithium-ion batteries contain a liquid electrolyte in which lithium ions flow during the charge/discharge process, SSBs are made entirely from solid materials. Besides a massive improvement in operational safety – since these batteries won’t spill toxic liquids when punctured – SSBs can be charged much more quickly.

But up until now, there was an unsolved problem in SSBs that limited their durability. When lithium ions are inserted into or extracted from the electrodes of the battery, the crystalline structure of the material changes, making the electrode expand or shrink. These repeated changes in volume damage the interface between the electrodes and the solid electrolyte and cause irreversible alterations in the crystal chemistry of the electrodes.

New type of electrode material

Against this backdrop, a team of scientists led by Professor Naoaki Yabuuchi of Yokohama National University, Japan, investigated a new type of positive electrode material with unprecedented stability in SSBs. Their work, which was published in Nature Materials, was co-authored by Associate Professor Neeraj Sharma from UNSW Sydney, Australia, and Dr. Takuhiro Miyuki from LIBTEC, Japan.

The material the research team focused on was Li8/7Ti2/7V4/7O2, a binary system composed of optimised portions of lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) and lithium vanadium dioxide (LiVO2). When ball-milled down to an appropriate particle size in the order of nanometers, this material offers high capacity thanks to its large quantity of lithium ions that can be reversibly inserted and extracted during the charge/discharge process.

Unlike other positive electrode materials, Li8/7Ti2/7V4/7O2 has a special property that makes it stand out: it has nearly the same volume when fully charged and fully discharged. The researchers analysed the origin of this property and concluded that it is the result of a fine balance between two independent phenomena that occur when lithium ions are inserted or extracted from the crystal.

On one hand, the removal of lithium ions, or ‘delithiation’, causes an increase in free volume in the crystal, which makes it shrink. On the other hand, some vanadium ions migrate from their original position to the spaces left behind by the lithium ions, acquiring a higher oxidation state in the process. This causes a repulsive interaction with oxygen, which in turn produces an expansion of the crystal lattice.

“When shrinkage and expansion are well balanced, dimensional stability is retained while the battery is charged or discharged,  i.e. during cycling,” Prof. Yabuuchi says.

“We anticipate that a truly dimensionally invariable material – one that retains its volume upon electrochemical cycling – could be developed by further optimising the chemical composition of the electrolyte.”

Superior cell performance

The research team tested this new positive electrode material in an all-solid-state cell by combining it with an appropriate solid electrolyte and a negative electrode. This cell exhibited a remarkable capacity of 300 mA.h/g with no degradation over 400 charge/discharge cycles.

“The absence of capacity fading over 400 cycles clearly indicates the superior performance of this material compared with those reported for conventional all-solid-state cells with layered materials,” A/Prof. Sharma says.

“This finding could drastically reduce battery costs. The development of practical high-performance solid-state batteries can also lead to the development of advanced electric vehicles.”

By further refining dimensionally invariant electrode materials, it may soon be possible to manufacture batteries that are good enough for electric vehicles in terms of price, safety, capacity, charging speed, and lifespan.

“The development of long-life and high-performance solid-state batteries would solve some of the problems of electric vehicles,” Prof. Yabuuchi says.

“In the future, for instance, it may be possible to fully charge an electric vehicle in as little as five minutes.”

The researchers are keen to see more progress in this field that would accelerate the adoption of electric cars and help build a greener future for the planet.

Dec 16, 2022Blagojce Krivevski
Polestar 3 with Smart Eye’s driver monitoring system on show at CES 2023Toyota and Oncor partner on vehicle-to-grid technology
You Might Also Like
 
OXIS Energy is close to achieving 500Wh/kg and is targeting 600Wh/kg with Solid State Lithium Sulfur technology
 
Samsung’s solid-state battery technology could give you 800 km of range
Blagojce Krivevski

Blagojce Krivevski is physicist and green technology lover. Keep in touch with Blagojce through his email, web site, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Google+.

December 16, 2022 Electric Car News, Technologysolid-state batteries, solid-state battery
Follow Us
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • feedburner
Recent News
TravelCenters of America Enters Agreement with Electrify America to Expand EV Infrastructure
January 31, 2023
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey to start producing the new Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid
January 31, 2023
Sono extends funding campaign for the Sion EV until 28 February
January 31, 2023
First 2024 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 SUV Raises $500,000 for Tread Lightly! at Barrett-Jackson
January 30, 2023
Ford Reduces Mustang Mach-E Prices, To Significantly Increase Production In 2023
January 30, 2023
About
ElectricCarsReport.com ElectricCarsReport.com is a website dedicated to pure electric vehicles and the full range of consumer information and tools about electric cars, green technology energy, and the environment.
Latest News
TravelCenters of America Enters Agreement with Electrify America to Expand EV Infrastructure
January 31, 2023
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey to start producing the new Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid
January 31, 2023
Sono extends funding campaign for the Sion EV until 28 February
January 31, 2023
Subscribe

Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news and event postings.

Get in touch

Email: [email protected]

Archives
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • feedburner
DMCA.com
© ElectricCarsReport.com | All Rights Reserved.