The durability of the battery has always been a problem for researchers, because no matter how large the battery’s capacity is, it doesn’t make sense if it can’t be recharged multiple times. We all know that lithium batteries will decrease in capacity with use, but no one has ever known why. Recently, the United States Energy Agency has discovered the cause of battery aging: nano-sized crystals.
Scholars have carefully studied the materials of the anode and anode of modern batteries. They found that these materials will be directly corroded during use, but the mechanism of corrosion has not yet been clarified. Brookhaven National Laboratory’s team observed high-quality nickel-oxygen cathodes with a transmission electron microscope and recorded their changes during repeated charge and discharge.
This experiment shows that when lithium ions pass through the cathode and anode, they will “clamp” in the ion channels, they will react with the nickel oxide and form tiny crystals. These crystals change the internal structure of the battery and prevent other ions from reacting efficiently, reducing the available battery capacity. Surprisingly, such weakness is random and there is no regularity at all.
The reason why lithium batteries are not perfect is that the battery components are inherently imperfect. No matter how much we pay attention to the structure of the anode and the anode, small damage will produce crystals. Just like when boiling water, a container with an uneven surface is more likely to cause bubbles in hot water. It can be said that as long as there is a gap in the battery material, nanocrystals will be generated.
The US Energy Agency also launched a second study to explore the impact of charging speed on battery capacity. They found that modern batteries are getting smaller and smaller, which in turn will shorten battery life. The larger the battery, the faster the charging speed, and the slower the nanocrystals form.
Post time: Mar-04-2020
