May 20, 2018 may turn out to be a day to note in your diary, and post on your social media too if Forbes Magazine is right. Prof Zimmermann of Tufts University, Massachusetts is perfecting a battery with lithium metal for the negative electrode. However, this time it will not catch fire if we cut, smash, or even crush it according to Forbes.
How Prof Zimmermann Could Turn Our World Upside Down
The current generation of lithium-ion batteries uses carbon electrodes with lattice structures that house lithium ions. Because a solid lithium metal one would be flammable, and eventually spawn dendrites causing it to fail.
Prof Zimmermann’s alternative replaces liquid electrolyte in lithium batteries with flame retardant plastic. Forbes Magazine describes the result as a battery that “won’t catch fire if it is cut, punctured, or crushed. In fact it can continue to produce power despite significant damage,” they claim. But wait for it. There is more to come.
The Cherry on the Top is Far Greater Density
Lithium-ion technology took a step back the day the industry started using carbon electrodes with graphene lattice structures housing lithium ions. They did so, because the solid lithium version was more likely to eventually catch fire and explode. Typically, this happened when dendrites reached through the liquid electrolyte and short-circuited the device. But that problem may now be solved.
This news should be of immense interest to anybody hoping for cleaner electrical technology, and a gradual return to a cooler earth. Solar and wind contain the seeds of the permanent solution, provided we have dense, reliable, and safe battery storage to ensure consistent supply.
Today, we solute Prof Zimmermann for offering our world new hope. We hope with all our heart Forbes Magazine is right. And that we stand on the verge of the final green breakthrough for which we prayed so long.
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