Getting Batteries in Line

Dean Sigler Uncategorized Leave a Comment

In another bid to create the much-hoped-for 10X batteries, researchers at North Carolina State University are rolling their own. As noted in many articles, lithium batteries infused with silicon have a bad habit of swelling and contracting as they charge and discharge, pulverizing the silicon eventually.  Depending on the surrounding materials, the destruction can take place fairly quickly, leading to reduced cycle life for the battery. North Carolina scientists are fighting to extend battery life, though, with what they call “A Novel Nano-architecture for Flexible Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes,” part of the title of their paper in the journal Advanced Materials. Many battery electrodes are some form of graphite composite, and the impetus to wrap these anodes or cathodes in silicon has strong motivation.  “Putting silicon into batteries can produce a huge increase in capacity—10 times greater,” Dr. Philip Bradford, assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at NC State says. “But adding silicon can also create 10 times …