A battery lab in the Netherlands that often makes headlines for its use of salt in power pack innovations is experiencing disorganization.
No need to worry — it’s all part of carefully planned battery research that has the potential to yield faster charge times and greater storage capacity in common lithium-ion packs.
According to experts at TU Delft Labs, “local disorder” in the cathode material increases the number of times that batteries can be powered up and discharged.
While characterized as creating disorder, it’s intricate work involving precise chemistry.
“The layered oxide used as cathode material for Li-ion batteries is neatly ordered. We conducted a structure design study to introduce chemical short-range disorder into this material through an improved synthesis method. As a result, it became more stable during battery use,” lead author Qidi Wang said in a Delft lab report.
Most lithium-ion…
