The Holy Grail Is Here: A Stable, Solid-State, Lithium-Metal Battery

Popular Mechanics ^ | May 17, 2021 | Caroline Delbert

[woodbutcher1963]

A new paper presents a stable lithium-metal battery design for the first time. Lithium-ion batteries have flaws that lithium-metal batteries could fix. This new battery adds a self-healing technology that will close cracks where dendrites form.

Lithium-ion batteries are the backbone of most of today’s electronic devices, including electric vehicles. But for all of their game-changing benefits, the batteries still have an inherent flaw: dendrites. These thin, snaking, tree-like pieces of lithium form sharp points and end up piercing the battery, causing short circuits and other problems. This ultimately shortens the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries, and leaves major room for improvement. ➡ You think science is badass. So do we. Let’s nerd out over it together.

Scientists have focused, then, on studying lithium dendrite formation to see how they can make better, longer-lasting batteries for electric vehicles. Now, Harvard University researchers say they have the answer: a lithium-metal battery made of a solid-state metal material rather than lithium-ion, eliminating the pesky dendrites and offering more structural stability than a battery consisting of liquid or graphite materials. lithium metal battery While the green electrolyte is more stable with lithium, it’s also more prone to dendrites. The brown electrolyte is less stable with lithium, but is immune to dendrites. Here, the dendrites grow through the graphite and green electrolyte, but stop when they hit the brown electrolyte. Second Bay Studios/Harvard SEAS

Think of the new battery like a BLT: “Our multilayer design has the structure of a less-stable electrolyte sandwiched between more-stable solid electrolytes, which prevents any lithium dendrite growth,” the scientists say in their new study, which appears in Nature. You Have to Read This A Breakthrough in Massless Energy Storage

[Dr. Sivana]

mmmm . . . BLT

[NicoDon]

Hate to point this out, but its not a holy grail of anything if it requires exotic\rare earth metals, like lithium.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“exotic\rare earth metals, like lithium”

No problem. Just open up new mines in the west. Right?

[MHGinTN]

Ah yes, Science moves onward and upward.

[FreeReign]

Hate to point this out, but its not a holy grail of anything if it requires exotic\rare earth metals, like lithium.

Plus you still need to make the power at the power plant.

[ExSES]

Lithium is widely available and is not a rare substance...

[ctdonath2]

Lithium is not exotic/rare-earth. There is a lot of it, and given sufficient demand ways to extract it will expand.

Don’t confuse lithium with cobalt. Until recently, the two were very much used together - and cobalt is a rare-earth element. Tesla is eliminating cobalt from battery technology.

[fireman15]

The link leads to a paywall... but you can open it with the Brave Browser to get around it.

The article is written in simplistic terms comparing batteries to BLT sandwhiches... “Think of the new battery like a BLT: The bread is the lithium-metal anode, the lettuce is graphite, the tomatoes are the first electrolyte, and the bacon is the second electrolyte. Add another layer of the first electrolyte, and top it with a cathode.”

It is describing an incremental improvement in batteries that may increase the life span of the batteries but not their effieincy or capacity. I am not sure that I would describe that as the “Holy Grail” in battery technology... but who knows.

[Brian Griffin]

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/magnet-free-electric-motor-brings-formula-e-efficiency-to-electric-road-cars-161134.html

[FreeReign]

Lithium is widely available and is not a rare substance...

Do you have the specific stats on that?

[Red Badger]

Holy Grail Pingy Thingy!.............

[Red Badger]

I get mine at Sam’s...................

[ctdonath2]

Also, lithium is highly recyclable. A large box full of it in small canisters of well-understood construction (to wit: an EV battery) will fetch a good trade-in price after you’ve tired of your EV designed to million-mile specs.

[Red Badger]

While the green electrolyte is more stable with lithium, it’s also more prone to dendrites. The brown electrolyte is less stable with lithium, but is immune to dendrites. Here, the dendrites grow through the graphite and green electrolyte, but stop when they hit the brown electrolyte. SECOND BAY STUDIOS/HARVARD SEAS Think of the new battery like a BLT: The bread is the lithium-metal anode, the lettuce is graphite, the tomatoes are the first electrolyte, and the bacon is the second electrolyte. Add another layer of the first electrolyte, and top it with a cathode. HARVARD SEAS

[technically right]

When they put a Dodge Ram with a battery that can go 400 miles and fully recharge in 10 minutes maybe I’ll take a look at it. Until then EVs are simply expensive novelties

[fireman15]

Here is a beautiful environmentally friendly lithium mine in Australia...

They have already extracted enough ore to power hundreds of Teslas and thousands of iPhones. And it is hardly noticiable even from space.

[Jonty30]

Is it noticeable from space if there are no clouds in the sky?

[ctdonath2]

An internet search instantly produces many links to world lithium availability.
Upshot: There is indeed a lot of lithium, but current mining is insufficient for growing demand. Just as fracking opened vast new reserves, lithium mining will meet demand when it sufficiently exceeds current supply.

[taildragger]

Hold that thought.

Solid State Batteries are coming and offer 1.3 to my guess 1.5x the range and charge times in the 12 to 15 minute range as soon as 2025. So if your current range is 250 mile per charge and you 1.5x that, that is 375 miles on a charge.

* GM has chosen SES as a Solid State Supplier.
* Ford is going with Solid-Power out of Colorado
* And VW with Quantumscape.

tipping Point Stuff.

https://www.ses.ai/

https://solidpowerbattery.com/

https://www.quantumscape.com/

BTW QuantumScape may also be dancing with Ford and BMW. Maybe offer it as a premium product.

Put this on 1.5x and watch J. Singh being interviewed by Sandy Munro. Due your due diligence on both. This interview is more significant than anyone will see...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKFiQIMyF-A