Li Battery Fire Suppressant Developed
Recently published in Nature, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52766-9 LG Chem has developed a thin membrane said to greatly reduce the chance of fire in Li-Ion batteries. From the abstract,
Integrating safety features to cut off excessive current during accidental internal short circuits in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) can reduce the risk of thermal runaway. However, making this concept practical requires overcoming challenges in both material development and scalable manufacturing. Here, we demonstrate the roll-to-roll production of a safety reinforced layer (SRL) on current collectors at a rate of 5km per day. The SRL, made of molecularly engineered polythiophene (PTh) and carbon additives, interrupts current flow during voltage drops or overheating without adversely affecting battery performance. Impact testing on 3.4-Ah pouch cells shows that the SRL reduces battery explosions from 63% to 10%.
The full paper is available, no paywall.
Also covered in more popular language in Motor Trend, https://www.motortrend.com/news/lg-chem-runaway-ev-battery-fire-suppresion-technology/
... The only catch, now, is that testing has only truly begun. Scaling up to larger capacity battery packs-ones used in EVs, as highlighted by the study-are to begin in 2025. It seems that the CTO of LG Chem, Lee Jong-gu, believes this safety feature will come sooner rather than later: "This is a tangible research achievement that can be applied to mass production in a short period of time. We will enhance safety technology to ensure customers can use electric vehicles with confidence and contribute to strengthening our competitiveness in the battery market." We're sure that many firefighters and motorsports events are probably begging LG Chem to make this technology a top priority.
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