Harvard University says that a new type of battery chemistry has been found. This could help build solid-state battery technology. Even though its tests so far have shown promise, it’s important to keep in mind the many problems that keep even paradigm-shifting batteries from being widely used, as well as how long it would take for things to change in that way. The next big step forward in battery technology is solid-state batteries, which will then be used in electric cars. When it comes to safety, durability, weight, charging speed, energy capacity, and longevity, solid-state batteries are better than lithium-ion batteries. The technology is still in its early stages, so even its biggest fans don’t think it will be sold for a long time. The new lithium-metal solid-state battery from Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences makes the school think it has solved the problem. A lithiated metal oxide is used in the cathode (negative side) of lithium-ion batteries. On the other hand, lithium is used in the anode (positive side) of lithium-metal batteries. Think about why we want to move beyond lithium-ion technology before we talk about what this means for the battery. Because dendrites form inside lithium-ion batteries over time, they lose their power. These are tiny spikes that come from the anode and can get through the cathode’s barrier. This can create an internal short circuit that can lower the battery’s power or even start a fire. Harvard says they have found the reason: they say that dendrites are made when ions “plate” unevenly onto the anode while it is charging. Discharging gets rid of this layer, but there may still be thick and thin spots. In the end, these turn into dendrites. Harvard experts, on the other hand, say they have found a way to control the growth of dendrites by adding new layers of material between the anodes and cathodes. To get more even plating, the surface of the anode is covered with silicon particles that are so small that they stop dendrites from forming. Scientist Xin Li says, “In our design, lithium metal gets wrapped around the silicon particle, like a hard chocolate shell around a hazelnut core in a chocolate truffle.” Harvard says the results are the best of any pouch-type cell on the market right now. Sources say that a prototype the size of a postage stamp kept 80% of its power after being charged and discharged 5,000 times, and it can last for more than 6,000 rounds. It is said that the anode has ten times more energy efficiency than lithium-ion batteries. It should take about ten minutes to charge. Harvard has already been permitted to test the technology on a smartphone battery scale, and they have found materials that can be used instead of silicon. In comparison, lithium-ion batteries are meant to last between 1,000 and 2,000 charge cycles in electric cars (EVs) and between 300 and 500 charge cycles in consumer electronics before they start to lose a lot of their power. It’s unclear if this is because of different types of cells, better battery management, a more widely spread load, or less demand for peak power. Even so, it looks like using lithium-metal batteries in electric cars would have similar long-term benefits. That’s great, but the same thing always happens when there are exciting new developments in solid-state batteries. There are other problems to solve, like the fact that solid-state batteries need more and more lithium. This will make them more expensive and cause a supply problem since battery materials will likely run out in a few years. Because these batteries are more complicated, they might be harder to make, which would make them cost more. Also, unlike software, improvements in hardware don’t spread right away. Toyota, which is one of the car companies most likely to use solid-state technology, says it won’t have enough advanced batteries to power more than 10,000 cars by 2030. If Harvard’s research moves as quickly as it looks like it does, it will be years before the technology is used in the real world, especially on a big scale. The move from the lab to the production line is more challenging than it seems, despite all the talk in the tech media about the next big thing.
