Study on a new type of fire proof water based lithium-ion battery

A team of Chinese scientists at the University of Maryland recently developed a new type of lithium-ion battery based on water-based electrolytes, which for the first time meets the voltage required for household electronics such as laptops, according to foreign media. And avoid the risk of fire and explosion.

Among the existing electronic products, lithium-ion batteries use non-aqueous electrolytes. The battery voltage of an electronic device must meet the 4V standard when it is working, but at this voltage, water is easily electrolyzed, so the organic solvents commonly used in lithium batteries are used as electrolytes, but these electrolytes are flammable and explosive. Sex, There are great security risks.

It is understood that the research team had developed a hydrolytic battery in 2015, but due to the high voltage of only 3V, and the electrode performance will be affected by the aqueous solution and decline. After the redesign of the product, the research team collaborated with scientists such as Xukang of the US Army Research Laboratory to develop this upgraded version of the water-based lithium battery.

The researchers used a new polymer coating that had special drainage properties and applied it to the electrode so that water molecules could not get close to the electrode surface. After the first charge, the gel breaks down into a stable interface, separating the electrode from the electrolyte, preventing the water molecules from breaking down at working voltage. The technology not only improves the energy storage and charge and discharge performance of the battery, but also completely avoids the danger of organic solvent electrolyte explosion.

Although the operating voltage of the new battery has reached a basic commercial level, there are still many areas that need to be upgraded compared to the current lithium-ion battery. For example, the cost of zinc battery materials is relatively high, and charging and discharging can only reach 50 to 100 times. However, it can not be denied that it has important reference significance for battery technology such as sodium ion batteries, lithium sulfur batteries, zinc magnesium multiion batteries, electroplating and electrochemical synthesis.

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