Researchers announce "immortal" flexible lithium ion battery, promising to be available within the next 2 years

 Researchers announce "immortal" flexible lithium ion battery, promising to be available within the next 2 years

Concrete builds the foundation of today's modern world, but what drives the technology of the future on top of that concrete are lithium-ion batteries. Battery technology is the lifeblood of most rechargeable electric devices, from the phone that fits in the palm of your hand to the electric car your family sits in. However, lithium-ion batteries are like concrete - they are the wild offspring of nature shaped by human hands, filled with unsolvable problems.

Lithium-ion battery technology is based on toxic and flammable materials, so with just a little damage, any electrical device, no matter how small, will turn into a bomb with quite a bit of destructive power. However, we believe that science just hasn't found a safe solution yet.

This type of battery remains safe even if it is cut or bent.

This type of battery remains safe even if it is cut or bent.

Physicists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory share that belief. For the past 5 years they have been trying to redesign the li-ion battery, in order to find a battery that is near absolute safety. In 2017, they announced - the product of a partnership with the University of Maryland: a battery that remains safe even when cut, bent, hit hard or immersed in water.

Late last year, the team at Johns Hopkins lab pushed the limits further, creating a battery that is fireproof and has a voltage equivalent to the battery currently on the market.

In order to be "immortal" (immortal in a way that can withstand damage but can still die of old age), a battery must possess a layer of truly efficient electrolyte; If you don't know, the electrolyte is what separates the positive and negative terminals of a battery. When you use a li-ion battery, charged lithium particles pass through a membrane in the electrolyte, go from the cathode to the anode, and then undergo a chemical reaction to generate energy.

Most electrolytes in li-ion batteries use a mixture of flammable lithium salts and toxic solutions; Jeff Maranchi, head of material science research at APL, calls this “the recipe for disaster.” If this thin wall is punctured, the battery will short, the chemical reaction occurring inside will cause the battery's temperature to spike suddenly. And when the heat finds its way to the flammable electrolyte placed next to an oxygen-rich cathode, you'll have yourself a "small" fire.