Researchers at Western University in Canada may have made a significant breakthrough. First, they secured facilities at Canadian Light Source, the national research facility. Then they made a relatively simple modification to a rechargeable li-ion battery. We had no idea increasing lithium battery life could apparently be that easy. However, we wondered whether this would work outside the laboratory.
The Carbon Coating Increasing Lithium Battery Life
Battery makers customarily use an aluminum foil collector where electricity feeds energy from lithium-ion batteries. This metal has high electronic conductivity. Moreover, it is cheap and weighs almost nothing. However, more work is needed to prevent electrolyte corrosion, and hence shortened battery life.
The team from Western University in Canada found that carbon coating the foil protected the electrolyte from decay. As a result, they saw battery capacity increase by 50% compared to standard batteries. Moreover, their method for increasing lithium battery life used an existing super-thin graphene coating according to Yorktown This Week.
How the Light Source Facility Supported the Project
The Canadian Light Source facility provided the synchrotron light required to test the coating. The Western University team would have been unable to see the chemical changes occurring without this extremely bright X-ray,. Moreover, it enabled them to observe their coating working in high-voltage and high-energy environments. Hence, their discovery could potentially increase electric vehicle driving range.
Yorktown This Week says increasing lithium battery life like this is more than a scientific exercise in a laboratory. Lead researcher Xia Li explains his team is keen to advance a new clean energy society. That’s because they do not regard oil as a long term solution.
However, they do believe their thin graphene coating could become a key green tool. That’s because of its onboard high conductivity, flexibility, and ready availability waiting for its first application.
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Preview Image: Canadian Light Source Booster and Storage Rings
