Scientists in South Korea may have just cracked a big challenge in battery tech.
A team at Hanyang University in Seoul has created a new design written up for the journal Nature Energy that could help solid-state batteries finally live up to the hype, delivering longer-lasting power for everything from electric vehicles to home energy systems.
Solid-state platforms "are promising candidates for next-generation batteries with high energy densities and safety," wrote the Korean researchers, as reported by Tech Xplore. But such designs still face major technical challenges, the scientists added, particularly "severe capacity fading" due to the rapid breakdown of their energy-storing materials.
That means that, over time, these high-tech batteries lose their ability to hold a charge, making them less useful and requiring more frequent replacements.
However, the Hanyang researchers say they've now figured out how to make one of the most important battery parts — the cathode — far more durable. The cathode is a section of the battery that stores and releases electricity, and it's often made with high amounts of nickel in solid-state systems.
To get to the root of why these nickel-rich cathodes degrade so quickly, the Korean team built four different versions of one and tested how they held up through repeated use. Based on their findings, the researchers redesigned the cathode to hold its shape better. In early tests, this upgraded design kept more than 80% of its charging power even after 300 charge cycles, a major improvement over earlier versions.
If the technology scales, it could mean longer-lasting batteries that don't need to be swapped out as often, saving both money and materials.
Solid-state batteries are so named for their upgraded electrolytes — the medium that allows energy to flow between components — which use solid materials instead of the often flammable liquids found in traditional lithium-ion batteries. Using these solids can also streamline the battery's function by making parts in traditional systems obsolete, a feature that could yield even lighter power packs in the future.
Because of their promised benefits, solid-state tech has attracted a lot of attention from researchers around the world, who are now chipping away at the remaining technical hurdles.
In the U.S., scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois have been developing their own new kind of layered cathode made from nickel, manganese, and cobalt that performs more reliably at high voltages, a common weakness in today's battery tech. Their design reduces the amount of cobalt needed, helping to lower costs and reduce environmental harm linked to cobalt mining, all while keeping battery performance strong.
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Absolutely 💯 Together, these breakthroughs point to a future where energy storage is cleaner, safer, and built to last. That would give people a lot more control over how they power their homes and lives — not to mention fewer reasons to worry about what happens when the battery dies.
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