Battery enthusiasts should be ready to dig deep into their chemistry books for a full view of the latest findings coming out of the Tokyo University of Science.
While the complicated research hasn’t produced a fully working battery, it could provide game-changing insight into the creation of a key power pack part: the negative electrode. Eventually, the analysis may help to produce a better electric vehicle pack with a precise electrode analysis method, all according to a report published by EurekAlert.
When lithium-ion batteries cycle, ions move between two electrodes — the anode and the cathode — through a substance called electrolyte. The team is interested in finding a better alternative to commonly used carbon negative electrodes, or cathodes. Carbon is subject to troublesome dendrite formation when quickly charged, which in turn can cause a short circuit and fire, as described by the lab summary and ScienceDirect.
While rare, lithium-ion battery fires can be catastrophic.
In response, the Japanese experts investigated transition metal oxides as an alternative to carbon. The oxide-based materials have great thermal stability and other attributes that promote better fire safety. A promising type is called Wadsley-Roth phase oxides, including TiNb2O7, or TNO, all per EurekAlert.
“The network structure of TNO forms lithium-ion conduction pathways and has a significant influence on the properties of negative electrodes,” research team lead and associate professor Naoto Kitamura said in the report.
But the material’s atomic structure needed to be charted. To accomplish the task, the team analyzed three unique samples. One was pristine, one was ball-milled to reduce its particle size, and one was heat-treated, according to the lab notes.
A series of advanced tests, including topological analysis, revealed that ball milling followed by heat treatment produced the best results for charge-discharge performance, the report continued.
“For the first time, we could prove that the combination of intermediate-range structure and topology analyses is a promising way of developing a guideline for improving electrode properties,” Kitamura said, per EurekAlert.
If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you?
Battery innovations are happening around the world, including tech that revives Thomas Edison-era iron-alkaline science and promising solid-state power packs. Often, the goal is to increase EV range, charge speeds, and safety while lowering costs.
That’s important, because each EV that replaces a gas-burning car prevents thousands of pounds of harmful, heat-trapping exhaust annually, as noted by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Curbing the fumes is a goal drivers of all vehicles can help to achieve. Efficient driving habits can stack up to more than a hundred bucks in savings a year via shorter routes and less idling time. Reducing planet-warming fume production is also a lung-friendly move, as medical experts have linked the gases to a range of health risks, including carcinogen exposure.
For now, the researchers are confident that their findings will lead to better-performing lithium-ion batteries, which would be a boon to EVs and other tech.
“TNO can be used in lithium-ion batteries for cars and can contribute to the green growth strategy for achieving carbon neutrality,” Kitamura said.
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