Scientists have devised a way to prevent the burning of damaged lithium-ion batteries. The battery is effectively hardened during impact, preventing electrodes from contacting and triggering a fire. Lithium-ion batteries are now dominant in consumer electronics because of their superior performance compared to other batteries.
They are the most popular choice for portable devices, including mobile phones and laptops, and occupy a place in heavier applications such as electric cars. However, damaged lithium-ion batteries are at risk of ignition, in addition to personal injury, it is well known that lithium-ion fires cause house fires and even aircraft crashes, such as the 2010 UPS Boeing 747 aircraft crash.
In a lithium-ion battery, a thin piece of plastic separates two electrodes, and if the battery is damaged and the plastic layer fails, the electrodes may contact and cause the battery's liquid electrolyte to catch fire, scientists say. Through the use of additives and traditional electrolytes, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has effectively proposed an impact-resistant electrolyte. During impact, the modified electrolyte is cured to prevent electrode contact. When used in batteries, the possibility of fire caused by damage is greatly reduced. The practice is to avoid this by simply injecting the silica additive into the battery before adding the electrolyte and battery seal to help the battery harden during the impact.
The additive used here is perfectly spherical, with a 200 nanometer wide silica particle suspended in an ordinary liquid electrolyte to form a colloid. The study was supported by the Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency.
