- The batteries will be able to operate under extreme conditions like cutting, submersion and simulated ballistic impact
- The researchers have worked on replacing the flammable liquid with a polymer that improves safety and form factor
According to PTI, scientists have developed a flexible lithium-ion battery that will not catch fire. These batteries will be able to operate under extreme conditions like cutting, submersion and simulated ballistic impact.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) told PTI that current Li-ion batteries are susceptible to catastrophic fire and explosion incidents — most of which arrive without any discernible warning — because they are built with flammable and combustible materials.
Significant step
They further stated that with these batteries emerging as the energy storage vehicle of choice for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage, these safety advancements mark a significant step forward in transforming the way Li-ion batteries are manufactured and used in electronic devices.
Konstantinos Gerasopoulos, a senior research scientist and principal investigator at APL told the news daily that Li-ion batteries are already a constant presence in our daily lives, from our phones to our cars, and continuing to improve their safety is paramount to further advancing energy storage technology.
He added that the team’s efforts have generally been focused on replacing the flammable liquid with a polymer that improves safety and form factor. Also, the damage tolerance with the battery in 2017 is further improved in this new approach to creating Li-ion batteries.
Source:PTI