Friday, March 13th, 2009

Building a Better Battery

A sample of a film carrying a new material that could allow quick charging and discharging of lithium ion batteries. Photo MIT / Donna Coveney

Scientists say a modification to the design of lithium-ion batteries could allow batteries that can charge and discharge in a matter of seconds. Writing in the journal Nature, the team from MIT describe modifying the surface of a sample of lithium iron phosphate to improve the mobility of the lithium ions in the material. Before the processing step, a battery made from one sample of the lithium iron phosphate took six minutes to charge. After processing, batteries using the material were able to charge in under twenty seconds.

Fast-charging and discharging batteries could be of use in a variety of applications, from portable electronics to advanced cars. We'll talk about the work, and how soon it might be able to find its way into consumer products.