Cheaper Lithium-Ion Batteries Developed

7 August 2008

Lithium - ion batteries are used for storing energy. The cost is the major factor of conventionally fabricated Lithium - ion batteries, however researcher at University of Texas has developed a new technique for making safe and cheaper batteries. The new techniques is microwave based, which requires lower temperature and take less time and therefore the manufacturing cost of these batteries is significantly low.

The conventional lithium - ion batteries are manufactured using lithium cobalt oxide, which is unsafe and costly. The new technique developed by Arumugam Manthiram, professor of Material Engineering at University of Texas, Austin is based on lithium iron phosphate, which is quite cheaper and safer than lithium cobalt oxide and therefore the overall cost of the battery will come down significantly.

The researcher took lithium hydroxide, iron acetate and phosphoric acid and mixed these in a solvent. After allowing the mixture in a microwave for 5 minutes, heated it at 300 degree centigrade. Manthiram found the particle size of lithium iron phosphate in the range of up to 100 nanometer long and 25 nanometer wide. After coating these nanoparticles with electronically conductive polymer, treated with small amount of sulfonic acid, Manthiram found the performance of these nanoparticles improves significantly.

Related Posts: