Science Daily thinks researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory know the root cause of lithium dendrites and whiskers. However, we have heard so many promises before. But this time Chongmin Wang and his team believe the answer is a compound in the battery electrolyte. Therefore, they hope their discovery will lead to improved battery ingredients.
Factors Leading to the Root Cause of Lithium Dendrites and Whiskers
Whiskers and dendrites appear in lithium batteries and eventually short circuit their electrodes. We can compare dendrites to tiny trees, and whiskers to their needle-like projections. These penetrate through the safety separator like a weed growing through the surface of a road.
We need to understand the root cause of lithium dendrites and whiskers, because they cause lithium battery fires. Moreover, the growths can also accelerate battery failure too. Taken together, these limitations are throttling the roll out of lithium batteries on a large scale. And this will in turn slow down global warming counter measures, until we have solution.
See Whiskers Grow in Lithium Batteries before Your Eyes
What Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Researchers Found
Chongmin Wang and his team found that whiskers sprout in the solid-electrolyte interphase. This is the film that separates the solid lithium surface of the anode from the liquid electrolyte. They believe ethylene carbonate is the catalyst. Battery makers add this compound to the electrolyte to improve battery performance.
The video you just saw shows lithium ions ‘clumping’ or ‘nucleating’ on the anode surface. Therefore, the particle that results represents the birth of a dendrite. It grows from strength to strength as more lithium ions arrive. Science Daily says we can compare this to a stalagmite growing from the floor of a limestone cave in our imagination.
The team shot the video of the root cause of lithium dendrites after integrating their atomic force, and environmental transmission electron microscopes.
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Preview Image: Pacific Northwest Battery Research
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/vh0d7amNCu8
