Kaunas University of Technology: Research reveals unseen factors behind lithium-ion battery degradation

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://en.ktu.edu/news/research-reveals-unseen-factors-behind-lithium-ion-battery-degradation/

Research reveals unseen factors behind lithium-ion battery degradation

Important | 2024-11-13

An international team of scientists has identified a surprising factor that accelerates the degradation of lithium-ion batteries leading to a steady loss of charge. This discovery provides a new understanding of battery life and offers strategies to combat self-discharge, which could improve performance in various applications from smartphones to electric vehicles.

According to Artūras Vailionis, a core lead of the X-ray and Surface Analysis group at Stanford University and a visiting professor at the Lithuanian Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), it has been (and still is) commonly believed that the self-discharge of a fully charged battery is due to the diffusion of lithium atoms from the electrolyte to the battery’s cathode.

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“The longer lifetime of lithium-ion batteries means that consumers need to change their batteries or electronic devices less often. Also, longer battery life helps to reduce the amount of electronic waste and prevents resource depletion – lithium, cobalt, and nickel are finite resources – thus contributing to more sustainable practices,” says Vailionis, a visiting professor at KTU, Lithuania.

Devices with long-lasting batteries, such as smartphones, laptops and others, can be used for longer without the need to recharge them, and in industrial applications with large battery systems (e.g. electric vehicles or grid energy storage), longer battery life means a higher return on investment, making these technologies more economical. Besides, in renewable energy systems, such as solar and wind power, longer battery life increases the efficiency and reliability of energy storage, helps stabilise the energy supply and reduces dependence on fossil fuels.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adg4687

[Docy]

1. Great find

I had no idea self-discharge was tied to this! If they can figure out the root cause of battery degradation, we could see a whole new generation of longer-lasting, more efficient batteries. This could make a huge difference in everything from mobile devices to renewable energy systems.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Likewise

So far as I knew, self-discharge and degradation were unrelated.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. Echion's XNO(R) technology seems promising

https://www.echiontech.com/

Echion’s XNO® niobium-based anode material enables lithium-ion batteries to fast charge safely in less than 10 minutes, with high energy density and a cycle life of more than 10,000 cycles.

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There’s a lot of exciting work being done on new batteries. In the meantime, while various companies work to bring them to market, the present generation of batteries are rather good.