Scientists have successfully developed a lithium battery that will never explode despite overheating

Deakin University of Australia opened a battery technology research and development center in 2016. This center recently confirmed that it has successfully built a prototype lithium metal battery with some very interesting properties.

It's a 1Ah flat-cell battery, uses lithium anodes and is capable of storing and providing 50% more power than current lithium cells. It also uses liquid electrolyte, which gives it an edge over traditional battery technologies.

Professor Patrick Howlett, director of the research center, said the electrolyte in the battery cell is not the same as the electrolyte currently used in lithium-ion cells from Samsung or Tesla. Its advantage is never to create an explosive reaction.

Not only that, they actually work better when they heat up. As a result, the device will not need expensive and bulky cooling systems to prevent the battery from overheating.

In theory this electrolyte could help create a battery capable of charging and discharging at high speeds, in contrast to the disadvantages of traditional lithium-ion batteries today. High battery temperatures may not be a problem for small handsets like laptops and smartphones. But having a battery that can work at high temperatures without explosion or performance will be great for an electric car.

Dr Robert Kerr, who led the research, said the use of lithium metal electrodes in lithium metal batteries is not common in the battery industry. Therefore there is not much information on how to produce these most effective battery cells.

Kerr adds, after years of studying the process and details, the team has created an impressive performance battery. However, this is only an initial step when the group is expected to continue developing 1.7Ah batteries. This will certainly be a milestone with battery technology.

Refer to Gizchina