Samsung has presented a new type of solid-state battery technology, which it says is smaller than current lithium-ion batteries, while offering greater energy density and higher capacities, as well as slower degradation.
According to Samsung, solid-state batteries utilise solid electrolytes, unlike lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes, making them demonstrably safer. However, the lithium metal anodes that are frequently used in solid-state batteries are prone to trigger the growth of dendrites.
These can reduce a battery’s lifespan and safety, but the company’s researchers have found a way to overcome those undesirable effects. The team discovered that by incorporating a silver-carbon (Ag-C) composite layer as the anode, the battery was able to support a larger capacity, a longer life cycle, and had enhanced overall safety.
Measuring just five µm (micrometers) thick, the Ag-C nanocomposite layer allowed the team to reduce anode thickness and increase energy density up to 900 Wh/L. It also enabled them to make their prototype approximately 50% smaller by volume than a conventional lithium-ion battery.
The company’s research is expected to help drive the expansion of electric vehicles, and based on the team’s testing with a prototype pouch cell, its solid-state battery would enable an EV to travel up to 800 km on a single charge and feature a life cycle of over 1,000 charges.
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So Samsung thinks we all forgot about the Note7 debacle.