The solid-state battery replaces the Li-ion battery with an important step forward for applications to smartphones

Lithium-ion batteries are the first choice for every modern smartphone, every device uses rechargeable batteries at the present time. However, Li-ion batteries are full of disadvantages that make a battery ineffective: the amount of energy in the battery is not particularly high, their life cycle is quite short and if it is charged incorrectly, the battery can turn into a bomb.

We are studying the next evolution of the rechargeable battery, and that is most likely a solid battery - solid state battery . If it succeeds, we might call this battery SSB , like the current SSD drive.

The new study of SSB from Columbia Technical University has found a way to stabilize the solid electrolyte when placed in lithium metal, or itself as a solid battery. By utilizing nano-thin boron nitride (BN) coating on the device, researchers can increase the SSB battery capacity by 10 times compared to Li-ion batteries. Besides, the electrolyte used in SSB battery design is not capable of igniting, much safer than the Li-ion 'slow-bomb'.

The solid-state battery is not a new invention, but the battery-making material, designed to be safe, cost-effective and battery-making technology, still prevents SSB from becoming big. Deeply understand the SSB's predecessor, the Lithium-ion battery, to know why it's difficult to replace this technology.

'Lithium fibers' make it difficult for the battery

Besides the cost of production, dendrite is one of the most difficult problems that appears inside the battery. For an unreadable reading: dendrite is lithium fibers that 'grow' inside the battery, causing the battery to lose energy quickly and in some cases, dendrite can cause an explosion. It begins to appear from the anode and spread to the entire battery, when charging and discharging the battery continuously for a long time; ions in the electrolyte combine with electrons to form a layer of solid lithium metal,

Dendrite reduces the ability to charge. When they spread out too wide, dendrite can penetrate walls between positive and negative poles, causing short circuits and explosions.

Dendrite crept inside the battery.

Modern Li-ion batteries avoid problems with dendrite by using liquid electrolyte to conduct electricity, instead of solid metal - which causes ions to be squeezed together to get a larger battery capacity. However, the new liquid is flammable, making the Li-ion battery burnable when under high pressure or heat.

Manufacturers often use graphite (graphite) between lithium at the anode, while maintaining the stability of the battery while increasing the number of charging cycles. Future materials such as graphene or silicon-based alloys have also contributed to increasing battery performance in related tests.

Dendrite - lithium fibers accumulate in the battery compartment.

Combining the best elements, we will have a good enough Li-ion battery, limiting dendrite formation by reducing and controlling the flow of ions. However, when doing so, the battery will decrease in capacity and with the liquid electrolyte, the higher explosion rate will require other safety measures.

That's why we need another rechargeable electric storage device, so people call solid-state lithium batteries the ultimate goal of the research and production of rechargeable batteries. But modern technology does not allow us to stabilize SSB easily as with existing Lithium-ion batteries.

New research solves that problem

The study comes from Columbia University's engineering team, affiliated with Brookhaven National Laboratory and New York City University, giving us a way to solve dendrite in solid-state batteries.

They used a nanoscale thin boron nitride (BN) layer - only 5 to 10 nanometers - to separate the lithium and ion conductors. Separating the two parts will prevent dendrite from forming, short-circuiting and thin enough to optimize power storage.

This technology uses a small amount of electrolyte solution, which relies heavily on porcelain materials to maximize the amount of electricity available. Boron nitride grade is specially designed to make lithium ion comfortable to pass through, to safely charge and discharge electricity.

'We have developed a set of armor to protect solid electrolytes from instability, and with this progress, we have achieved a lithium battery with a very long life cycle , ' Quian Cheng, a researcher at the University. Columbia confirmed.

Basically, researchers create a very thin layer, preventing dendrite from forming in the battery. This is where ceramic electrolytes come in: allowing SSB batteries to be larger than li-ion batteries, minimizing the risk of explosion, increasing the battery's life cycle. The next step is to find more solid electrolytes that are more efficient, optimizing solid-state batteries to the maximum.

This battery will soon be mass produced and gradually remove Lithium-ion batteries.

Comparison of 'liquid' and 'solid' battery technologies

The Columbia University team is not the only group that has built up the ambition of an efficient solid-state battery system. Many other battery technologies are being tested, all aimed at replacing the existing Li-ion battery with a more flexible battery, charging and discharging many times and minimizing the risk of explosion.

Going further, will be mass production of new batteries, gradually eliminating Lithium-ion batteries with many shortcomings.

As for our customers, the obvious benefits of solid-state battery packs are just like this: 6 times faster charging, life cycle (charging and discharging) for up to 10 years with more storage energy coming. 2-10 times, no flammable ingredients. It seems that the solid battery is too perfect to be true; You should believe it gradually, because this is the future of energy storage.

1. Both clean and cheap: Lithium-ion batteries are the "threat" of coal and oil .