Materials Used In Electric Car Batteries

MaterialsUsedInElectricCarBatteries
ByKimberlyLawson Jun152016

ImageCredit:FabioBerti|Shutterstock.com

Therearearangeofmaterialsbeingusedinbatteriesforelectricvehicles.Lithium
ionbatteriesareutilizedinthemajorityofallelectricandpluginhybridelectric
vehiclesnickelmetalhydridearecommonforhybridcarsandnewermaterialsare
beingintroduced,suchaslithiumpolymerandlithiumironphosphate,withmoreon
thehorizontochallengethoseincommonlyused.

Eachbatterymaterialhasit'sownstrengthsandweaknesses.Nickelmetalhydridehasa
moderatecostbutalowerpowerdensitythanotherbatteries,whilealithiumiron
phosphatebatteryuseslithiumionchemistrybutwithanironphosphatecathodesothat,
whencomparedtootherlithiumionbatterytypes,itofferssuperiorheatandchemical
stabilitywithouttheriskoffirebutwithlowerenergydensity.

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Materials Used In Electric Car Batteries

Althoughlithiumpolymercanbeshapedinanyway,itisconsideredmoreexpensiveand
hasalowerenergydensitythanstandardlithiumion.

LithiumIon
LithiumionisthematerialofchoiceforTeslaMotorselectriccars.WorkingwithPanasonic,
theyhavehalvedthecostofthebatteryandincreaseditsstoragecapacityby60%.
DuPontalsosellslithiumionbatteriesbrandedEnergainforelectriccarsthatitclaimsare
15%to30%morepowerfulthanotherelectriccarbatteriesofthesametype.

Inthelithiumionbatteries,thenegativeelectrodeismadeofgraphite,aformofcarbon,
thepositiveelectrodeismadeofametaloxide,suchaslithiumcobaltoxide,andthe
electrolyteisalithiumsaltdissolvedinanorganicsolvent.Themovementoflithiumions
betweentheelectrodescreatestheenergyofthebattery.Lithiumionbatteriesareknown
tobelightweightbuttheydecayeasilywithage.

UKfirmNexeonmakesitslithiumionbatterieswithsiliconasopposedtocarbonanodes
withtheadvantagesofhigherenergydensityperunitmassrelativetootherbatteriesand
anincreasedcapacityupto40%andincreasedlongevity.Thecompanyalsoclaimslower
manufacturingcostsrelativetoothermaterialsandlighterdesignpossibilitiessuitablefor
hybridvehicles.

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Materials Used In Electric Car Batteries

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LithiumSulfur
Inthepipelinealsoisalithiumsulfurbatterywitharechargeablesulfurcathodeto,in
theory,poweranelectriccarthreetimesmorethancurrentlithiumionbatteriesforthe
sameweightandatalowercost.Thetheoryisbeingtestedbyresearchersledby
ProfessorofChemistryLindaNazar,Ph.D.attheUniversityofWaterloo.In2009hergroup
demonstratedthefeasibilityofalithiumsulfurbatteryusingnanomaterials.Sincethen,the
grouphasfocusedonstabilizingsulfur,giventhatwhileitisabundant,lightandcheap,it
alsodissolveseasilyfromincomingelectrons.

Experimentshavenowshownthatanoxygenatedsurfaceofanultrathinmanganese
dioxide(MnO2)nanosheetchemicallyrecyclesthesulfidesinaprocessthatinvolvesa
surfaceboundintermediatecalledpolythiosulfatesomuchsothat,ratherthandissolving
quicklyinabattery,rechargesitthroughmorethan2000cycles.

Thegroupcategorizesthereactionasonesimilartoonefoundinearlysulfurchemistry
experimentsdoneinGermanyaround1845.

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Materials Used In Electric Car Batteries

LithiumOxygen
Alsoabletorechargeover2,000cyclesisalithiumoxygenbatterydevelopedby
researchersfromtheUniversityofCambridge.ProfessorClareGrey,leaderofthe
research,believesanappliedversionoftheirprototypecouldbeadecadeaway.Their
versionconsistsofacarbonelectrodemadefromgraphene(comprisingoneatomthick
sheetsofcarbonatoms),andadditivesthatalterthechemicalreactionsatworkinthe
battery,makingitmorestableandefficient.Specifically,ituseslithiumhydroxideinsteadof
lithiumperoxide,andaddswaterandlithiumiodideasamediatorsothatthebattery
undergoesfewerchemicalreactions,makingitmorestable.

Researchersreducedthe'voltagegap'betweenchargeanddischargeto0.2volts
comparedtopreviouslessefficientversionsofalithiumairbattery.Theefficiency,
traceabletoahighlyporousgrapheneelectrode,greatlyincreasesthecapacityofthe
demonstratorthatcanonlybecycledinpureoxygen.Thegroupisworkingonprotecting
thebatterysmetalelectrodesothatitdoesn'tformlithiummetalfibers,ordendrites,that
canshortcircuitthebattery.

ReferencesandFurtherReading
ElectricCarBatteryMaterialsCouldHarmKeySoilBacteria

ChemistOneStepClosertoaNewGenerationofElectricCarBattery

BenefitsofNexeonTechnology

ElectricVehicles:WhatYouNeedtoKnowBatteryTypes

BatteriesforHybridandPlugInElectricVehicles

NewDesignPointsaPathtothe'Ultimate'Battery

WhyWeDon'tHaveBatteryBreakthroughs

TakingCharge:MaterialsforElectricVehicleTechnology

AboutLiIonBatteries

LithiumIonvs.LithiumPolymerWhat'stheDifference

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Materials Used In Electric Car Batteries

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