Air Batteries

The vision of the electric car is an 800km journey with just one battery charge coming to life thanks to new advances in lithium-air batteries technology.

UK researchers have reached an important milestone in developing a lithium-air battery that promises to be 3-5 times larger than lithium-ion batteries. we use on electric vehicles and consumer electronics nowadays. Once built, new batteries can allow us to use laptops in long flights, talk for a week with a single charge, or make a long trip. More than 800 kilometers by Chevy Volt, instead of only 160 kilometers.

According to Discovery, Peter G. Bruce, a professor of chemistry at St. Andrews University in Scotland, and his colleagues focused on a chemical reaction that allowed the battery to be recharged without causing degradation of the electrode. of the battery.

Scientists in the world are working on developing a battery with cathode-negative air and lithium metal as an anode. The cheap oxygen material is lightweight, so it does not require a heavy battery cover to hold the electrodes. With the current battery, lithium ions move from cathode to positive through an electrolyte or a chemical solution. When using a battery, the process is reversed and the ion flow generates a current.

In lithium-air batteries, oxygen enters the cathode and lithium ions are added to produce lithium peroxide, which will accumulate when the battery is fully discharged. Professor Bruce's team was able to repeat the experiment without causing electrode decomposition by using a thin layer of gold honeycombed electrode. This is also the 'Achilles heel' of this battery because gold is expensive material. Therefore, researchers hope to find a cheaper alternative to take on gold. 'The path is still long. But what we do has shown the importance of basic scientific research in this area , "Bruce said.