Designing ion 'highway systems' for batteries
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 - 11:26
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers have married two traditional theories that advance the understanding of plastics for battery application. Since the early 1970s, lithium has been the most popular element for batteries: it's the lightest of all metals and has the greatest electrochemical potential. But a lithium-based battery has a major disadvantage: it's highly flammable, and when it overheats, it can burst into flames. For years, scientists have searched for safer battery materials that still have the same advantages as lithium.