#Chinese #Lithium battery electrolyte could double #EV range and run in extreme cold
Chinese scientists have created an all-weather electrolyte that could improve lithium batteries, allowing them to operate more efficiently at room temperature and in extreme environments.
The research team from Shanghai and Tianjin said batteries made using the hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte had more than double the energy density of those made with traditional electrolytes when operating at room temperature.
They said the batteries could also operate efficiently at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit).
Electrolytes are chemical media that enable the transport of ions between the positive and negative electrodes in a battery.
For the past few decades, conventional lithium-based battery electrolytes have mainly been composed of oxygen and nitrogen-based compounds due to their effectiveness in dissolving lithium salts, the team said.
However, these electrolytes have limited charge transfer capabilities, leading to challenges in fast charging or low-temperature performance that limit efficiency and can lead to safety concerns.
The researchers from Nankai University and SISP – which is affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation – found a way to synthesise fluorine-based electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries, which offer reduced viscosity, improved stability and better low-temperature performance.
Using one of their fabricated hydrogen, fluorine and carbon-based electrolytes, the team created lithium-metal pouch batteries with an energy density of more than 700 watt-hours per kilogram at room temperature and 400 watt-hours per kilogram at minus 50 degrees.
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