A fast-charging and fire-resistant battery made from aluminium and sulphur could be used in electric cars, avoiding the environmental problems and fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries.
Modern battery technologies use lithium-ion cells which, if damaged, can catch fire in an explosive process called thermal runaway. The lithium that makes up these batteries is also in short supply, as demand has skyrocketed due to the switch to renewable energy and electric cars.
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have developed a battery made from two abundant materials, aluminium and sulphur, that can charge to full capacity in less than a minute, store energy at similar densities to lithium-ion batteries and isn鈥檛 prone to catching fire.
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鈥淭his is a totally new battery chemistry,鈥� says Sadoway. 鈥淭he vast majority of [research] publications you see today are just variations on the 30-year-old lithium-ion battery.鈥�
Although the battery operates at the comparatively high temperature of 110掳C (230掳F), it is resistant to fire because it uses an inorganic salt that can鈥檛 burn as its electrolyte, the material that allows charge to flow inside a battery.
The battery has shown promise in early tests, but it needs to undergo many more before being ready for commercial use, says Sadoway. 鈥淭he big question is what鈥檚 it going to look like after 1000 cycles? Can it go to 2000 cycles?鈥�
鈥淭he rapid charging demonstrated is particularly impressive and it鈥檚 quite promising that they suggest they can achieve a volumetric energy density on par with some lithium-ion batteries,鈥� says at Imperial College London.
While there will be engineering challenges ahead, the combination of aluminium and sulphur in the battery鈥檚 electrodes makes its material cost, recyclability and fire resistance very attractive features, says Wu.
Nature
