In 2009, roughly 38 percent of all batteries by revenue were Li-ion. Li-ion is a low-maintenance battery, an advantage many other chemistries cannot claim. The battery has no memory and does not need exercising to keep in shape. Self-discharge is less than half compared to nickel-based systems. This makes Li-ion well suited for fuel gauge applications. The nominal cell voltage of 3.6V can power cell phones and digital cameras directly, offering simplifications and cost reductions over multi-cell designs. The drawback has been the high price, but this leveling out, especially in the consumer market.
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A research conducted at MIT points to a new advancement in the domain of energy generation and storage from rechargeable batteries. Ion conductors are an important component of rechargeable batteries, and the researchers have found a new type of ion conductors that can accelerate the process of charging batteries. This discovery could be a forerunner for the development of high-energy lithium batteries, and may even be a source to power fuel cells. Lithium batteries and fuel cells have been a matter of constant research and development because of their increasing need for several industrial and non-industrial processes.
Studying Crystal lattices
The crystal lattices of lithium ion conductors were studied to analyze the way vibrations move and see how did they block the migration of ions. This was done to get new materials that can increase the mobility of ions, thus, allowing the charging and discharging of batteries. Moreover, the reactivity of the material can be lowered with the use of the battery’s electrodes. The discoveries have been a culmination of five years of research beginning with the study of control catalysts for water spilling and employing the results for ion conduction. One of the researchers stated that it is extremely important to have solid ion conductors that can stably induce high ion conductivity.
Finding the Best Fit
The lead researcher expounded that there are numerous materials that can be used for ion conduction, but they were aiming at finding a common principle that can guide their research. Hence, they researched the lattices properties of solid materials to get the best materials amongst a host of many.