Toward practical solid-electrolyte lithium-ion batteries

Ars Technica : Lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte that can leak, burn, and destroy the internal structure of the battery. Another drawback is that during the recharge cycle, deposits of lithium metal form inside the battery, creating the potential for short circuits. One possible solution is to use a solid electrolyte. Unfortunately, ions don’t travel well through solids, and current solid electrolytes don’t function at all until they are heated to at least 80 °C. Now Renaud Bouchet of Aix-Marseille University in France and his colleagues have developed a new solid electrolyte that is effective at 60 °C. It has an ion transfer rate that is five times faster and a structure that is significantly stronger than current solid electrolytes. Test batteries using the new electrolyte remained stable through dozens of charge–recharge cycles. The temperature needed is still higher than is acceptable for many smaller gadgets, but it is within acceptable ranges for use in aircraft. Although the battery’s performance is lower than that of traditional lithium-ion, its increased tensile strength and lower risk of catching fire may make up for that.