Develop a li-ion battery that alerts itself of gas that is about to explode

The phenomenon of cell phone Li-ion batteries or electronic devices exploding is becoming more popular and in this situation, researchers at Stanford University have developed an intelligent Li-ion battery that can warn Users if the battery is overheated and is likely to catch fire.

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Typically, a bar of Li-ion batteries contains carbon and cathode anodes of lithium metal-oxide separated by a super-thin polymer layer. This separation layer has holes that allow lithium ions to move between two poles in a flammable electrolyte.

If metal particles or dust get into this separation layer during the production phase or the battery gets charged too fast while it is cool, lithium ions can accumulate on the anode and form fibers called dendrite . If these dendrite fibers penetrate the separation layer and come into contact with the cathode, the battery may be short-circuited and ignite the electrolyte.

While some other research groups are now looking to develop more electrolytic electrolytes, Yi Cui, associate professor of materials science and engineering and Stanford University colleagues, decided to develop a system. Early warning systems can be used on conventional Li-ion batteries. They used a layer of copper nanoparticles placed on one side of the separation layer, thereby creating a third electrode between the cathode and the anode.

Denys Zhuo, a graduate student, said: "This copper layer acts as a sensor that allows you to measure the voltage difference between the anode and the separator layer. When dendrite fibers grow It is long enough to come into contact with the copper coating, the voltage will drop to 0. This will help you know when the dendrite fibers have grown to half the battery. This warns that the battery needs to be removed and replaced. before dendrite fibers contact the cathode and may cause a short circuit ".

Zhuo said that when the copper-clad partition could detect the voltage when it dropped to 0 and a message would be displayed on the device's screen warning that the battery should be replaced. According to Dr. Hui Wu, a pre-doctoral student, "The copper coating on the polymer separator is only 50 nanometers thick, about 500 times thinner than the separator itself. This component is quite flexible and spongy like pine polymer separators. therefore, the effect of copper coating on ion flow between the two poles is negligible, in addition, conductive copper coating does not change the battery performance but can provide safety. "

Besides Li-ion batteries, Yi Cui said the technology could be applied to other batteries such as zinc, aluminum and other metal materials. Cui's research has just been published in Nature Communications.