A cooperative exploration group has accomplished an achievement in battery innovation. Their accomplishment in fostering a non-combustible gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is set to change the wellbeing of lithium-particle batteries (LIBs) by relieving the dangers of heat out of control and fire episodes.
The exploration was driven by Teacher Hyun-Kon Tune in the School of Energy and Substance Designing at UNIST, Dr. Search Engine Optimization Hyun Jung from the Exploration Place for Cutting-Edge Specialty Synthetic Substances at the Korea Exploration Establishment of Compound Innovation (KRICT), and Dr. Tae-Hee Kim from the Ulsan Progressed Energy Innovation Research and Development Center at the Korea Establishment of Energy Exploration (KIER). The outcomes have been distributed in ACS Energy Letters.
Previously, the possible combustibility of LIBs has raised critical worries, particularly in electric vehicles, where fire risks represent a serious danger to underground parking garages. Resolving this basic issue, the examination group has effectively fostered an earth-shattering, non-combustible polymer semi-strong electrolyte, offering a promising answer for relieving battery fires.
“The multidisciplinary composition of the research team, which included electrochemistry from UNIST, polymer synthesis from the KRICT Research Center for Advanced Specialty Chemicals, and battery safety testing by the Ulsan Advanced Energy Technology R&D Center at Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), has been instrumental in achieving this breakthrough,”
Professor Hyun-Kon Song in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST,
Expectedly, non-combustible electrolytes have vigorously depended on the fuse of fire-resistant added substances or solvents with astoundingly high boiling edges. Be that as it may, these strategies frequently brought about a significant decline in particle conductivity, compromising the general execution of the electrolyte.
In their cutting-edge research, the group presented a follow-measure of polymer, making a semi-strong electrolyte. This original methodology decisively expanded lithium particle conductivity by 33% compared with existing fluid electrolytes. Besides, the pocket-type batteries consolidating this non-combustible semi-strong electrolyte displayed a wonderful 110% improvement in life qualities, really forestalling superfluous electrolyte responses during the development and activity of the strong electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer.
Nail entrance of 650 mAh pocket cells of NCM811 graphite (a to c) Voltage and temperature profiles (d to f) Credit: Ulsan Public Establishment of Science and Innovation
The critical benefit of this creative electrolyte lies in its excellent execution and non-instability. By stifling extremist chain responses with fuel compounds during the burning system, the polymer semi-strong electrolyte really hinders the event of battery fires. The exploration group showed the greatness of the created polymer by quantitatively examining its capacity to balance out and smother extremists.
Jihong Jeong (School of Energy and Substance Designing, UNIST) said, “The communication between the polymerized material inside the battery and unstable solvents permits us to smother extremist chain responses successfully. Through electrochemical evaluation, this advanced technology will enormously contribute to figuring out the components of non-combustible electrolytes.”
Co-first creator Mideum Kim, an expert understudy in the School of Energy and Synthetic Designing at UNIST and the Korea Exploration Establishment of Substance Innovation (KRICT), further affirmed the remarkable wellbeing of the actual battery through different trials. The group’s complete methodology included applying the non-combustible, semi-strong electrolyte to pocket-type batteries, guaranteeing the assessment of electrolyte non-instability stretched out to viable battery applications.
“The examination group’s multidisciplinary organization, including electrochemistry from UNIST, polymer combination from the KRICT Exploration Place for Cutting Edge Specialty Synthetic Substances, and battery security testing by the Ulsan Progressed Energy Innovation Research and Development Center at Korea Establishment of Energy Exploration (KIER), has been instrumental in accomplishing this leap forward,” expressed Teacher Tune. “The utilization of non-combustible semi-strong electrolytes, which can be straightforwardly integrated into existing battery gathering processes, will speed up the future commercialization of more secure batteries.”
More information: Jihong Jeong et al, Fire-Inhibiting Nonflammable Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium-Ion Batteries, ACS Energy Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c01128
