Breakthrough 820 Wh/kg battery ditches nickel and cobalt for manganese

zohaibahd

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What just happened? Another day, yet another battery breakthrough. Researchers have unveiled a promising lithium manganese oxide battery technology that hits a whopping 820 watt-hours per kilogram energy density without voltage decay, besting conventional lithium batteries that are usually half as dense.

Lithium-ion batteries that power our phones, laptops, and electric vehicles commonly use nickel and cobalt in their cathodes, which can make them pricey and not exactly eco-conscious given the extensive mining they require. However, this new breakthrough replaces those pricey metals with manganese.

According to research published in ACS Central Science this week, nanostructured lithium manganese oxide cathodes can achieve excellent energy density reaching 820 Wh/Kg. That's competitive with today's top nickel-based cathodes (around 750 Wh/kg), and way better than other attempted low-cost lithium alternatives at just 500 Wh/kg.

High energy density is just one piece of the puzzle. These manganese cathodes also demonstrate outstanding fast-charging capabilities, which is a big perk for EVs where you don't want to be tethered to a charging station for hours.

On top of that, unlike some other manganese batteries, they don't seem to suffer from voltage decay. Voltage decay is a phenomenon where the voltage decreases over time, reducing the performance and responsiveness of electronics. It's common in manganese-based materials.

As for how the researchers cracked this problem, it comes down to controlling the crystal structure and phase transitions in lithium manganese oxide at the nanoscale. By synthesizing a nanostructured form with a monoclinic layered domain, they were able to stabilize the material in an optimal structure.

That nanoscale monoclinic crystal arrangement is the key that unlocks manganese's true high-performance potential as a battery electrode. It allows phase transitions that prevent the cathode from getting structurally trapped in a low-capacity state.

The only downside is that manganese is pretty soluble and can dissolve over time in the battery. Overcoming this issue remains a challenge, but the researchers found it could be mitigated by using highly concentrated electrolytes and a lithium phosphate coating.

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I keep reading about all this outstanding changes ..... I would like to see just one of them actually come to market before I die!!!

Ultimately what you often hear about is lab breakthroughs with difficulties commercializing it at industrial scale production levels.

There has been creeping improvements for the last 20 years in lithium ion batteries that reached the market but it has seemed imperceptible because there wasn't one big step. They're now much better and far cheaper than say 2004.

I have more confidence seeing further advances because there is so much focus on battery tech that improvements will keep coming. If they're only incremental that adds up over a couple decades.
 
These impressive numbers are like crank horsepower, once you factor in cell packaging, battery packaging and other systems etc the numbers are much less.
To do proper electric enduro and adv biking and solo 4x4 touring you need an energy cell up to 1100-1300wh/kg and times that by 1.5 for cold climates. Then once your battery is about to run out you need recharging pretty much where all gasoline stations are.

It would take me two days to really understand that article as its written in a highly obscure way to make sure its not easy to understand, critique, and refute, like many of these articles.
No Voltage Decay? All batteries have their voltage drop during discharge, its physically unavoidable due to the reactions taking place at each electrode interface and limits of diffusion rates within the electrolyte. The battery has an IR which also means it drops. While a more steady flat voltage helps, perf also requires low internal resistance, optimized lower capacity, and high power density.

The best lithium-ion cells on the shelf right now top out at just 300wh/kg.
Manganese has been used for decades in li-ion as its what primarily gives low resistance and thus allows for high currents.
Smart money is on Aluminum ion battery, I want electric bikes to succeed, but right now they are so far from practical.
 
Ultimately what you often hear about is lab breakthroughs with difficulties commercializing it at industrial scale production levels.

There has been creeping improvements for the last 20 years in lithium ion batteries that reached the market but it has seemed imperceptible because there wasn't one big step. They're now much better and far cheaper than say 2004.

I have more confidence seeing further advances because there is so much focus on battery tech that improvements will keep coming. If they're only incremental that adds up over a couple decades.

Unless you throw money at it to get something to market. That's the point of subsidies: help eat the costs of production until economies of scale kick in.
 
These impressive numbers are like crank horsepower, once you factor in cell packaging, battery packaging and other systems etc the numbers are much less.
To do proper electric enduro and adv biking and solo 4x4 touring you need an energy cell up to 1100-1300wh/kg and times that by 1.5 for cold climates. Then once your battery is about to run out you need recharging pretty much where all gasoline stations are.

It would take me two days to really understand that article as its written in a highly obscure way to make sure its not easy to understand, critique, and refute, like many of these articles.
No Voltage Decay? All batteries have their voltage drop during discharge, its physically unavoidable due to the reactions taking place at each electrode interface and limits of diffusion rates within the electrolyte. The battery has an IR which also means it drops. While a more steady flat voltage helps, perf also requires low internal resistance, optimized lower capacity, and high power density.

The best lithium-ion cells on the shelf right now top out at just 300wh/kg.
Manganese has been used for decades in li-ion as its what primarily gives low resistance and thus allows for high currents.
Smart money is on Aluminum ion battery, I want electric bikes to succeed, but right now they are so far from practical.
Or just use your legs part of the way...
 
Unless you throw money at it to get something to market. That's the point of subsidies: help eat the costs of production until economies of scale kick in.

Or, just throw tax money at it until it collapses under it's own weight. Especially since economies of scale require sales, which never seem to materialize with government backed/forced projects.
 
Or, just throw tax money at it until it collapses under it's own weight. Especially since economies of scale require sales, which never seem to materialize with government backed/forced projects.

Citation needed
I don't think you realise how much of your day to day is govt backed
I don't think you realise how much basic research was undertaken by govts/universities in EVERY field of endeavour

Still sounds a great soundbite. And is nice to believe that all the advances in medicine, material science, mathematics , horticulture, agriculture, engineering etc were ALL achieve by private mega corporations and that quirky beardy guy who lives under the hedge in my backyard
 
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The problem with "battery" powered cars & trucks (especially commercial over the road trucks) is WEIGHT. (among other things).
These things are HEAVY and that weight also drops the range due to the weight.
Then you also have the issue if you are in an accident, and the battery module is compromised. All that stored energy just needs a minor tear, bend etc to short out the anode/cathode barrier and up it goes.
Yes, the same can happen in ICE vehicles, but over the years, they've made them much safer in a crash.
Until the technology is "solved" I think a better alternative would be a hybrid approach.
We all know that the power grid, right now really can't handle a "full" EV change. Not to mention the recharging stations aren't enough, and the time to recharge takes too long.
 
The problem with "battery" powered cars & trucks (especially commercial over the road trucks) is WEIGHT. (among other things).
These things are HEAVY and that weight also drops the range due to the weight.
Then you also have the issue if you are in an accident, and the battery module is compromised. All that stored energy just needs a minor tear, bend etc to short out the anode/cathode barrier and up it goes.
Yes, the same can happen in ICE vehicles, but over the years, they've made them much safer in a crash.
Until the technology is "solved" I think a better alternative would be a hybrid approach.
We all know that the power grid, right now really can't handle a "full" EV change. Not to mention the recharging stations aren't enough, and the time to recharge takes too long.
Charging time problem most likely will be solved in the nearest years. There is a news almost every day with companies showcasing superfast charging batteries. And in case with china, they make a prototype today, and sell them tomorrow.
 
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