Enhanced battery electrode could enable more than 600 km of travel on single charge

A analysis crew led by Professor Kyeong-Min Jeong within the College of Power and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, has unveiled an electrode that’s 5 occasions thicker than current fashions, using the dry course of.

This development not solely enhances battery capacity but additionally maintains fast charging speeds, aligning with environmental objectives by eliminating using chemical solvents. The work is published within the journal Power & Environmental Science.

Because the demand for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries surges with the rise of electrical autos (EVs), there’s a rising deal with design methods that maximize electrode thickness whereas minimizing inactive parts. Sadly, conventional moist electrode manufacturing strategies have struggled to create thicker electrodes, typically leading to clumping in the course of the solvent evaporation stage as a result of nature of powder-type electrodes.

In distinction, Professor Jeong’s analysis crew efficiently engineered an electrode as much as 5 occasions thicker, reaching a mix layer density of three.65 g/cm³, which is straight associated to its capability. The resultant areal capability of the electrode is a powerful 20 mAh/cm², considerably exceeding that of business counterparts.

When built-in into batteries, this progressive electrode may improve the driving vary of electrical autos by roughly 14%. “While conventional electric vehicle batteries have made the journey between Seoul and Busan challenging, our technology has the potential to enable over 600 kilometers of travel on a single charge,” acknowledged Professor Jeong.

Moreover, the brand new electrode design incorporates a porous spherical conductive materials that considerably boosts conductivity. In typical situations, elevated electrode thickness leads to longer lithium-ion transport distances, thereby lowering output and slowing charging speeds. Nevertheless, using specialised supplies just like the porous spherical conductive agent can mitigate these challenges, a feat not possible with conventional moist strategies.

“This technology marks a significant breakthrough, advancing both capacity and performance of eco-friendly dry electrodes,” remarked Hyesong Oh, the primary writer of the research. “It is particularly noteworthy for demonstrating the performance of 1 Ah-class pouch cells, paving the way for large-scale production beyond laboratory coin cell experiments.”