If the batteries increase in size, the team’s research could also benefit military personnel. A patent on this technique is currently in the works.ĭrone batteries are the researchers’ first application targets, with further goals to step into the automotive sphere. Veith and the research team bypass this issue by first placing the silica before adding the electrolyte and finally sealing the battery. However, this method called for significant changes to the current production process.
Previous methods to reduce battery fires utilized a nonflammable, solid electrolyte. Transitioning to battery design, the solid particles took the form of spherical, 200-nanometer-diameter pieces of silica, which were suspended in the liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries. The ooblex mixture, for example, had a colloid of cornstarch particles suspended in water. This behavior is due to solid particles being suspended in a liquid, known as a colloid. On a cookie tray, the mixture was fluid, however, the liquid transformed into a solid when the concoction was poked. After the applied pressure stopped, the mixture returned to its liquid form. The project’s initial breakthrough occurred when Veith and his kids were playing with ooblex, a mix of water and cornstarch. If a battery is damaged during a collision, the solidification prevents the electrodes from touching each other, thus the threat of fire greatly reduces. This gives the electrolyte impact-resistant capabilities.
The new approach, which mixes the electrolyte with an additive, creates a combination that solidifies when faced with pressure.
“In a lithium-ion battery, a thin piece of plastic separates the two electrodes,” says Gabriel Veith, Ph.D., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the project’s principal investigator “If the battery is damaged and the plastic layer fails, the electrodes can come into contact and cause the battery’s liquid electrolyte to catch fire.” Lithium-ion batteries are known for catching fire when damaged, which is a concerning fact considering their prevalence in consumer electronics.Ī research team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Rochester aims to remedy this issue by designing a battery based on liquids that solidify on impact.