A new type of polymer coating has been developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory which will change the way electric car batteries are made. This coating makes the battery cheaper and longer lasting at the same time, which is evidently great news for people who use electric vehicles or are considering buying them anytime soon.
The polymer coating is called HOS-PFM, and it works by conducting both electrons and lithium ions simultaneously. It works really well with electrodes made out of aluminum and silicon, two materials that are cheap and abundant but wear out more quickly than the more expensive graphite electrodes (which most EV batteries rely on currently).
The in-depth study and specifics might be difficult for most of us to understand but in short, this new HOS-PFM coat could change this very drawback of aluminum and silicon. The scientists behind its development say that it could extend the average lifetime of a lithium-ion battery from 10 to 15 years.
“The advance opens up a new approach to developing EV batteries that are more affordable and easy to manufacture,” Gao Liu, one of the project’s lead scientists, said in a statement shared by the laboratory.
EVs have revolutionized and put an end to old fossil-energy-powered cars. On the other hand, lithium mining comes with its own set of environmental issues. This is why it is essential to make lithium-ions as long-lasting, and with as little environmental impact, as possible.
Essentially, by using less expensive materials, car companies could quickly increase the number of cheap EV models available on the market.
