One of the most abundant renewable resources available on our planet is trees. Farms across the globe grow all types of trees for use in making construction materials, paper, and many other items. Researchers from Brown University are trying to figure out ways to develop batteries that could be used for electric vehicles and other products in place of lithium-ion batteries.
The main issue with lithium-ion batteries today is that they can overheat and catch fire when damaged. The researchers published a paper that shows a solid ion conductor made using a combination of copper and cellulose nanofibrils, which are polymer tubes that are made from wood.
Could be useful for making solid batteries
The team says the material they developed is paper-thin and offers ion conductivity between 10 and 100 times better than other polymer ion conductors found earlier. The invention could come in handy to make solid battery electrolytes or as an ion-conducting binder for use in the cathode of future all-solid-state batteries.
When the researchers combined copper with cellulose nanofibrils, they found that they are typically non-insulating provided faster lithium-ion transport inside the polymer chains. The material represents a very high ionic connectivity among all electrodes of a solid polymer.
Making batteries sustainable
Modern lithium-ion batteries depend on liquid electrolytes and form small lithium metal filaments called dendrites. The issue with dendrites is that they could cause short-circuits and fires because of the flammable chemicals used in liquid electrolytes. There is no problem with dendrite penetration by switching to solid electrolytes, and batteries can be made with the help of non-flammable materials.
Previously, a Chinese company called SVOLT claims to have cracked the code. The company says it’s ready to produce a cobalt-free battery at scale. The company claims its battery can deliver around 373 miles of range on a single charge and enable a car to reach 60 mph speed in just 5 seconds. The company said the battery is “expected” to make it to vehicles in the Chinese market but provided no clarity on the timeline of when it could happen.
