Korea develops battery technology that fully charges in seconds

A new type of sodium-ion battery developed by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) can be fully charged in just a few seconds, opening up hope for a new breakthrough in battery charging technology.

Sodium-ion is a battery technology that has attracted the attention of researchers because sodium is nearly 1,000 times more abundant than lithium in today's rechargeable batteries. Therefore, if research is successful, sodium-ion batteries can become an alternative energy storage option to lithium-ion batteries.

Current sodium-ion batteries are divided into two types:

1. Sodium-ion battery (SIB): Has a slow redox reaction rate and relatively high energy storage but slow recharging rate.
2. Sodium-ion capacitor (SIC): Capable of fast charging but low energy storage.

Using only SIB or SIC will not be able to achieve both the benefits of large energy storage and fast charging.

Experts believe that combining the advantages of SIB and SIC together can create a sodium-ion hybrid rechargeable battery (SIHES), which can simultaneously achieve high energy storage and fast charging. However, the problem is how to choose the right material.

The research team led by Professor Jeung Ku Kang of KAIST has developed a new type of anode and cathode materials that can charge quickly while maintaining high energy density. The new material has the advantage of stabilizing the charge/discharge cycle while also increasing the reaction speed, allowing the battery to be fully charged in just a few seconds.

The newly developed SIHES has achieved an energy density of 247 Wh/kg and 34,748 W/kg, which is higher than the energy density of lithium-ion batteries currently on the market.

According to Professor Kang, SIHES is "a breakthrough that overcomes the limitations of current charging systems". The new battery can be applied in many fields from electric vehicles to smart electronics and aerospace technology.