<
https://thedriven.io/2024/11/26/australian-betadine-inspired-battery-breakthrough-could-add-1000km-to-ev-range/>
"The household antiseptic ointment used for decades in Australia to slather on
scraped knees has inspired a lithium battery chemistry breakthrough that could
power electric aircraft of the future and deliver an extra 1000 kilometres on a
single electric vehicle charge.
The Australian research, led by Monash University in Victoria and published
Tuesday in
Advanced Energy Materials, uses the unique chemistry of sulfur to
make lithium-ion batteries cheaper, greener, lighter weight and – most
importantly – viable for real-world, heavy-duty use.
Lithium-sulfur batteries have long held great promise for their energy dense
properties, but their complex chemistry has made them slow to charge and
discharge and prevented them from maintaining high performance without
degrading quickly.
Using a spin on the iodine found in antiseptic lotions commonly found in
household medicine cabinets, the team at Monash claims to have made a
transformative step in battery technology and set a new benchmark for practical
lithium-sulphur prototypes.
“Imagine an electric vehicle that can travel from Melbourne to Sydney on a
single charge or a smartphone that charges in minutes — we’re on the cusp of
making this a reality,” said co-lead author of the paper Dr Petar Jovanović.
“This represents a major breakthrough toward making Li-S a feasible option not
just for long-haul EVs but particularly in industries like aviation and
maritime that require rapid, reliable power that is crucially light-weighted.”
In an electric car, Jovanović says the iodine treated Li-S batteries could
power an extra 1000 kilometres on a single charge while also cutting recharge
time.
“With our new catalyst, we’ve overcome one of the last remaining barriers to
commercialisation – charging speed,” adds co-lead researcher and director of
the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials, Professor
Mainak Majumder.
“Our catalyst has significantly enhanced the C-rate performance of Li-S
batteries, demonstrated in early proof-of-concept prototype cells. With
commercial scaling and larger cell production, this technology could deliver
energy densities up to 400 Wh/kg.”
“This makes it well-suited for applications requiring dynamic performance, such
as aviation, where batteries must handle high C-rates during take-off and
efficiently switch to low C-rates during cruising,” Majumder says.
“Li-S batteries are also a greener alternative to the materials used in
traditional Li-ion batteries, which rely on limited and often environmentally
harmful resources like cobalt.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
