Scientists at the University of Central Florida (University of Central Florida) researching alternative lithium battery designs have proposed an improvement plan, which they claim can greatly improve the performance of the device.
This breakthrough is mainly to coat one electrode of the battery with a new protective coating-copper-tin film, which can significantly slow down the degradation of the battery and enable the battery to maintain a greater amount of electricity for a longer period of time.
It is understood that during the charging process of a lithium ion battery, the lithium ions produced by the positive electrode will move to the negative electrode. If it is discharged, the process will be reversed. Normally, the negative electrode assembly is made of graphite, but there are also some potential substitutes, including metal tin with high capacity and high conductivity.
However, when the battery is charged, it causes the volume of tin to change, causing it to "degrade" rapidly. Professor Yang Yang of the University of Central Florida has been exploring ways to improve battery performance, including solving the problem of mechanical degradation of tin anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Now he thinks he may have found a solution.
As part of his research field, Yang and his team explored different variants of alloy materials, each of which is "unique in composition, structure, and performance." This led them to invent a thin film made of tin and copper that can be applied to tin anodes. This will keep the electrode stable throughout the charging process.
"Our research work has shown that the anode degradation rate of this film is more than 1000% lower than that of commonly used tin films." Yang said.
The researchers also said that this battery design is not only suitable for compact environments such as smart phones, but can also be used in larger applications, such as electric cars or electric trucks. If this battery design can work in this situation, it will allow the phone to last longer after each charge, or allow the electric car to drive farther without charging.