Major Breakthrough in Lithium-Ion Batteries

by Ed Burke and Kelly Burke, Dennis K. Burke Inc.

Advances in battery technology will play a central role in the transition toward a greener future

It is amazing to think about how many products we use each day that are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries have been around since the 1980s and the chemistry has remained relatively unchanged over the decades.

A team of researchers have introduced a revolutionary technique that can amplify the energy storage capacity of batteries by an astonishing tenfold. The research holds the potential to significantly increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries through the incorporation of high-capacity anode materials.

This leap forward not only propels battery technology to new heights but also has the potential to reshape the entire landscape of electric vehicles.

The Battery Anodes

The key to understanding battery function lies in the anode, the component responsible for storing power during charging and then releasing it when the battery is in use. In most modern lithium batteries, graphite is the predominant material used for anodes.

In a lithium-ion battery, lithium ions flow between the graphite anode and the transition metal oxide cathode. Graphite is resistant to swelling and physical damage, resulting in an anode that is strong and relatively stable during use. This durability is why graphite has been used in commercial lithium-ion batteries since the 1980s. However, graphite can only hold so many lithium ions which limits the overall energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

Materials like silicon offer much greater energy capacity than graphite, making them highly desirable for more efficient battery designs. The challenge, however, has always been in stabilizing a battery that uses a silicon anode. Silicon tends to expand during internal reactions within the battery, which can compromise its stability and safety.

In comparison, silicon can hold 10 times more lithium ions on a per-mass basis than graphite. Silicon anodes may also reduce charge times and increase power output across numerous applications, but there is a critical problem: swelling.

Silicon Anode Technology

Silicon expands to more than three times its original volume when absorbing lithium ions. This swelling is why silicon anodes have remained impractical for many years. Only recently have some companies started developing engineered solutions to control the problem. However, since most of the technologies are still emerging, many have not been subjected to extensive real-world use, increasing the importance of thorough testing for this new chemistry. 

The research team engineered a special binding material that prevents a high-capacity silicon anode from expanding. The result is a lithium battery with ten times the capacity of those with graphite anodes.

While this achievement is remarkable, they are not the only ones in the global race to revolutionize battery technology. Numerous teams around the world are working on more sustainable and efficient solutions.

Many new battery technologies and chemistries are rising to the challenge, from sodium-ion to solid state to lithium-ion batteries with silicon anodes — the market for which is projected to grow by more than 60 percent over the next 10 years. 

A Greener Future

As the world moves toward a greener future, it is clear that advances in battery technology will play a central role in this transition. In the context of electric vehicles, more powerful batteries mean longer driving ranges. It also means the automaker can make the batteries much smaller and lighter while improving driving range.

Efficient batteries are essential for optimizing wind and solar power. This battery technology could significantly enhance energy storage capacity, promising an unprecedented boost in grid-scale storage capacities.

More Power Increases Risk

The momentum behind silicon-anode batteries is in large part driven by their ability to store more energy than lithium-ion batteries of equivalent mass and volume. However, their increased energy density could also pose new, more dangerous risks in the event of a failure.

When lithium-ion batteries fail, they can release a tremendous amount of energy quickly, potentially resulting in thermal runaway events or fires. Given the higher energy density of silicon-anode batteries, thermal runaway events could be even more damaging to devices and dangerous for consumers.

Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries, currently used in small electronic devices like smart watches, have the potential to be safer and more powerful than lithium-ion batteries for things such as electric cars and energy storage from solar panels. For electric vehicles, this could increase distances between charges, or reduce the number of batteries needed for grid-scale energy storage.

In a solid-state battery, the liquid electrolyte is replaced by a solid material, called a solid electrolyte, that also helps the lithium ions move quickly. One technical challenge is that while the lithium ions can move quickly within the solid electrolyte, they have a hard time moving from the solid electrolyte to the electrodes and vice versa.

Adding a little bit of liquid electrolyte to the positive side of the battery helps speed things up. But there has been a lot of controversy in the solid-state battery research community about the safety of including liquid electrolytes.

Current projected battery sales are expected to grow from $48.7 billion in 2024 to $71.5 billion in 2030. Battery manufacturing capacity is expected to reach 9 Terawatt-hours by 2030.

Ed and Kelly Burke are respectively Chairman of the Board and Senior Marketing Manager at fuel distributor Dennis K. Burke Inc. They can be reached at 617-884-7800 or ed.burke@burkeoil.com and kelly.burke@burkeoil.com.

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