New sensor could help prevent lithium-ion battery fires and explosions

Researchers have developed new expertise to detect harmful gasoline leaks in lithium-ion batteries

With lithium-ion batteries powering every part from smartphones to electric vehicles, safety has grow to be a big concern. Whereas these batteries are environment friendly and long-lasting, the outcomes will be catastrophic when one thing goes incorrect.

This difficulty has grow to be much more urgent with the rise of electrical autos—in 2021 alone, greater than 20 fires or explosions in electrical autos worldwide had been linked to lithium-ion battery failures.

In a examine printed in ACS Applied Materials & Interfacesresearchers have developed a brand new sensor that might assist stop these harmful incidents.

Rising security dangers

“Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere,” says lead writer of the examine Liangdan Zhao, a Ph.D. pupil at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool College (XJTLU), China, and the College of Liverpool, UK. “They power everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles, military applications, and beyond. While they offer high energy density and a long lifespan, they also come with large safety risks.”

When battery cells overheat or are broken, unstable electrolyte vapors will be launched and will ignite, triggering fires or explosions. Consequently, there may be an pressing have to develop gas sensors that aren’t solely extremely delicate and selective but in addition low-cost, simply built-in, and energy-efficient.

“Our research is motivated by this critical safety challenge,” explains Zhao. “By focusing on the early detection of electrolyte leakage, we aim to contribute to safer battery management systems, potentially preventing catastrophic failures and enhancing the overall reliability of lithium-ion battery-powered technologies.”

Early detection of gasoline leaks

The brand new sensor detects hint quantities of ethylene carbonate (EC) vapor—a key element of a battery’s electrolyte—that may flag potential battery failures earlier than they escalate into disasters.

The researchers developed the extremely delicate and cost-effective gasoline sensor utilizing covalent natural frameworks (COFs), molecular constructions that may be engineered to selectively detect particular gases. That is the primary time the computationally guided design of a COF-based sensor has been used particularly for EC detection.

“We screened a whole bunch of potential supplies utilizing computational methods earlier than figuring out COF-QA-4 as one of the best candidate,” says Zhao. “It’s highly sensitive and selective, targeting the harmful EC gas while ignoring other vapors. The sensor can detect leaks long before they become hazardous.”

The sensor has proven exceptional efficiency in laboratory testsable to detecting EC vapor at concentrations as little as 1.15 components per million (ppm).

Enhancing security throughout industries

The researchers say the sensor’s potential impression extends far past electrical autos. It is also built-in into battery administration techniques throughout good dwelling units and industrial security techniques, offering real-time alerts for hazardous gasoline leaks and providing an early warning system that might stop catastrophic accidents.

“By incorporating this sensor into existing systems, manufacturers can take proactive measures to avoid dangerous situations,” says Zhao. “This could save lives and protect property by detecting potential failures long before they escalate.”

The analysis was supervised by Dr. Lifeng Ding and Dr. Qiuchen Dong, each from XJTLU.