S. Koreans Improve Lithium Battery Life by 8 Times
Nov 11, 2008, 9:25 AM by Eric M. Zeman
Engineers at Hanyang University have come up with a new way to make rechargeable lithium batteries 90% more efficient so that they provide eight times the life of current batteries. The researchers replaced graphite as the main material of the negative electrode with three-dimensional porous silicon particles made of silica and hydrogen fluoride. Silicon was known as a potential material for rechargeable batteries, but because silicon tends to expand when in contact with lithium, no solutions were found. This team of researchers came up with a way to solve that problem. They say the technology can be used in devices such as laptops and cell phones.