Chinese scientists have invented lithium batteries that can be used at minus 70 degrees

Chinese scientists have developed a lithium battery that can be used at minus 70 degrees Celsius and is expected to be used in the extremely cold regions of the earth and even in outer space in the future.

Studies published in the latest issue of the American energy academic journal Joule show that the new battery developed by Xiayongyao's team at Fudan University in China uses ethyl acetate, which has a low solidification point and can conduct electricity at extremely low temperatures, as an electrolyte. And use two organic compounds as electrodes. PTPAN cathode and PNTCDA anode, respectively.

Electrolytes are chemical media in which ions move between two electrodes, but the electrochemical reactions at the junction of electrolytes and electrodes are difficult to continue at low temperatures.

Unlike the electrodes used in conventional lithium-ion batteries, the researchers say, the electrodes use organic compounds that do not rely on the "embedding process", that is, they do not need to embed lithium ions into the molecular matrix of the electrode to prevent the embedding process from slowing at low temperatures.

Xiayongyao said: "Ethyl acetate electrolytes and organic polymer electrodes allow rechargeable batteries to work at very low temperatures of minus 70 degrees Celsius. "

Traditional lithium batteries perform only 50 % of their optimal level at minus 20 degrees Celsius and only 12 % of their optimal level at minus 40 degrees Celsius. The temperature in extremely cold regions such as Russia and Canada is below minus 50 degrees Celsius; In space, the temperature is even as low as minus 157 degrees Celsius.

Xiayongyao said the new battery has enough, cheap and environmentally friendly materials compared to conventional lithium electrode materials, which he estimates will cost about a third as much.

But the researchers acknowledge that the main challenge is that the unit mass energy of the battery is less than that of a commercialized lithium battery, and that the production process needs to be optimized. Despite this, Xiayongyao believes it has significant application potential.

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