Scientists from the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven Research Laboratory have discovered a strange phenomenon in lithium-ion batteries, the most common type of battery today commonly used to power phones and electric vehicles. That opens up the prospect of making batteries that charge faster and last longer.
The latest research shows that when the battery emits a current, the lithium density inside the microparticles can reverse at a certain point, rather than constantly increasing. This is a huge step forward in improving battery life in consumer electronics. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
The limited capacity of the battery means that phone users have to charge it every day. (Illustration).
Currently, the limited capacity of the battery means that phone users have to charge the battery every day. However, this new discovery could lead to the development of faster and longer-lasting rechargeable batteries. Within each lithium-ion battery are particles whose atoms are arranged in a grid, a cyclical structure with holes between the atoms.
When a lithium-ion battery produces electricity, lithium ions move into empty areas in this atomic lattice. Previously, scientists thought that the density of lithium would constantly increase in this grid. In fact, this is not true when the battery’s electricity is generated from microscopic particles.
The above phenomenon is like when we dip a sponge in water, the overall density of lithium will constantly increase in the microparticle. However, unlike water, lithium can freely move out of some areas, causing the density of lithium to be unevenly spread across the atomic grid.
The scientists explain that the uneven migration of lithium can be prolonged, leading to negative effects, causing the battery to be overloaded when operating. Before lithium enters the grid, its texture is uniform. However, the lithium stretched the net when it got in and caused the net to retract when it came out.
As such, each charge will cause the battery to wear out and the active components to be overloaded, reducing the quality of the battery over time. Therefore, it is important to understand how lithium density affects space and time.
Although the study only focused on lithium-ion batteries, the scientists think the phenomenon could occur with other high-performance batteries.