A handful of asphalt may be the secret to lithium batteries capable of charging at twice the speed of today's speed, according to new research published long ago
![Scanning electron microscope images show an anode composed of asphalt, graphene nanoribbons, and lithium on the left; And the same material without lithium, on the right. The innovative composition, developed at Rice University, is a first step towards the development of charging devices capable of charging electric batteries and accumulators at a speed that is 20 times faster than what exists today. [Courtesy: Tour Group/Rice University]](https://www.hayadan.org.il/images/content3/2017/10/%D7%90%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%98-%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8-500x215.jpg)
A team of researchers from the laboratory of scientist James Tour from Rice University developed electrodes consisting of porous carbon made from asphalt that exhibited extraordinary stability even after more than five hundred charge-discharge cycles. An extremely high current density of 20 milliamperes per square centimeter proved that the new material could be used in the future in extremely fast charging and discharging devices that require a massive use of electric current. The research findings were published in the scientific journal DHW Nano.
"The capacity of these batteries is large, and at the same time what is amazing about them is that we are able to go from zero charge to full charge in just five minutes, and not as it is today, when the charging time is at least two hours," says the chief researcher. The research team used previous research into the history of asphalt, namely untreated gilsonite, the same material used in the innovative battery, to capture greenhouse gases from a stream of natural gas. In their current study, the scientists mixed the asphalt together with nanostrips of electrically conductive graphene that had been coated with a layer of lithium through electrochemical deposition. The team of researchers connected the innovative anode to the cathode of sulfurized carbon in order to obtain a complete battery for conducting the experiments.
The experiments with the innovative battery revealed another significant advantage: the carbon itself encouraged the creation of dendrites of lithium. These long extensions of the precipitate came into contact with the electrolyte. If these extensions become excessively long, they can cause a short in the anode and cathode and even cause the battery to fail, catch fire or explode. However, the presence of the porous carbon derived from asphalt prevents the creation of these extensions. A previous project by the research team revealed that an anode of graphene and carbon nanotubes also prevents the formation of these extensions. However, explains the lead researcher, the new composition is much simpler.
"Despite the fact that the capacity of the new battery compared to that of the previous battery is quite similar, and they even approach the theoretical limit of lithium metal, the new composition, that is, the porous carbon based on asphalt, can contain a larger amount of lithium per unit area, and in addition, the composition This one is much cheaper and simpler to prepare," says the researcher. "The process does not require a layering step using steam or an electron beam, and in addition, there is no need to produce nanotubes from graphene, so the production process is much simpler."
See more on the subject on the science website:
2 תגובות
About two years ago, an Israeli startup was announced that promised to charge a battery in 20 seconds, and that it is in the final stages of research and implementation.
The failures are pushed to the fore.
If this is true it is possible to create a commercial that is nothing less than amazing. We can enter the gas station with the car and in a few minutes we will be on our way just like today. In such a situation, a range of 300 kilometers would be more than enough because on 95 percent of the days 95 percent of the people do not drive more than 300 kilometers per day and if it is possible on the rest of the days to charge for 5 minutes, then we are fine.
If we commercially and at a reasonable cost also produce solar panels with high efficiency, we can charge the vehicle while driving and parking during the day and we can increase the range without adding a battery, and then in general the vision of the electric vehicle can be widespread even faster than expected