Japan's new quasi-solid-state battery promises a non-flammable, super-safe energy solution with improved performance and thermal stability.
The Japanese research team made an important breakthrough with the quasi-solid-state lithium-ion battery (LIB). This will possibly turn out to be non-flammable, overcoming important safety issues pertaining to conventional LIB designs. Setting New Benchmarks for Battery Safety and Longevity It was designed by scientists from Doshisha University and TDK Corporation. The new innovation combines the best features of both liquid and solid electrolytes to enhance the safety of the battery without affecting performance. According to Interesting Engineering, this design gives a solution to the long dilemma of improving energy density while keeping cycle performance and safety. The breakthrough gives rise to a better, safer option for all-solid-state batteries and preserves high energy density, all in a single design. "The improved safety and charge/discharge performance demonstrated the feasibility of quasi-solid-state batteries as a near-future technology," the team wrote in the abstract. Development of Lithium-ion Batteries Lithium-ion batteries have dominated the energy storage business for decades now. They have led developments in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage. While there is always a growing need for higher energy density, the battery's safety and reliability are often the compromise. Traditional organic electrolytes used in LIBs allow for an increased voltage without flammability, which increases the concern due to their ease of catching on fire. Thus, although SSEs are nontoxic, they do represent a…