A new technology in lithium-sulfur batteries can charge them in less than five minutes, instead of the hours currently required.
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Lithium-sulfur batteries are one of the few technologies that could one day replace the lithium-ion batteries used in the vast majority of electronic devices and electric cars. They can provide more energy, while the use of sulfur means the materials needed to make them are easier and cheaper to find.
However, they have several issues, including the fact that they don't hold their charge and take a long time to charge, sometimes requiring up to 10 hours to recharge. As a result, they have yet to make a wide market entry.
The new study addresses this problem by enabling much faster charging. With the help of a new type of catalyst, made from a carbon material and cobalt-zinc particles, the researchers were able to create a high-power battery that could charge in less than five minutes.
According to Shizhang Qiao from the University of Adelaide, who led the work, “Our research has the potential to redefine energy storage technologies and advance the development of high-performance batteries for various applications.”
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The team says this is the first comprehensive attempt to fix the slow charging and discharging rates of lithium-sulfur batteries. The researchers hope this could be the start of a range of new applications, including both electronics and grid energy storage.
The announcement came as Gelion, a separate British-Australian battery company, said early results show its lithium-sulfur battery designs are working. It plans to use the batteries in productsincluding electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically, as well as drones and more traditional electric vehicles.
“There is a strong recognition of the expected importance of Li-S technology in the energy transition and the expected commercial scale of the market,” said Gelion’s executive director, noting that many of the technology’s expected applications will come from areas where weight and safety are important.
See also: New revolutionary discovery brings batteries that charge in five minutes
Li-S technology has long been known to have potential, but achieving the performance offered by Li-S batteries is not simple.
Source: independent
