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'No Fire Risk' With New Lithium Batteries (bbc.com)

Lithium-ion batteries that are resistant to exploding or catching fire have been developed by scientists. From a report: The devices produced sufficient energy for use in household electronics, but did not ignite -- even when punctured repeatedly with a nail. The batteries use a water-salt solution as their electrolyte, removing the risks carried by some non-aqueous commercial models. The research is published in the journal Joule. "In the past, if you wanted high energy, you would choose a non-aqueous lithium-ion battery, but you would have to compromise on safety. If you preferred safety, you could use an aqueous battery such as nickel/metal hydride, but you would have to settle for lower energy," said co-author Kang Xu, from the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL). "Now, we are showing that you can simultaneously have access to both high energy and high safety."

25 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Do they work? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Or are the safeguards working against the product?

    According to the summary they work.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  2. I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market? by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 3, Informative

    About three weeks back we had a report on a breakthrough that could result in rechargeable zinc-air batteries, built of cheap materials. Rechargeable zinc-air would trounce lithium-ion on energy density (for applications exposed to air, at least) because you don't have to carry the oxidizer around. Main detail to be worked out is cycle lifetime.

    Now we have a breakthrough that could result in non fire-prone lithium-ion batteries - again if the (unstated) details work out. This could be a drop-in replacement, perhaps with a tweak of the charge control chip's parameters.

    I wonder when, if, and which might make it to market.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  3. (And here's the link.) by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 3, Informative

    About three weeks back we had a report on a breakthrough that could result in rechargeable zinc-air batteries, built of cheap materials.

    Forgot the link.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  4. As a potential terrorist by future+assassin · · Score: 1

    what does this mean for me, my laptop and the mail gun I brought on board?

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
    1. Re:As a potential terrorist by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      How much do you want for the spam-shooting mail gun?
      How many papercuts a second?
      Mail slot size?

  5. Re:I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I don't even care about the dangers of lithium ion batteries and throw them away in the normal trash. I would dispose of them "properly", but apparently my city and the waste management around here don't give a shit because there is absolutely no accessible information as to where to dispose of them and waste management never picks up their phone.

  6. Re:I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market by kimgkimg · · Score: 1

    >Main detail to be worked out is cycle lifetime. Yeah, that's kind of a big detail to work out.

  7. Every three weeks... by swb · · Score: 1

    Every three weeks we get a breakthrough in battery technology reported, but all we ever see are incremental improvements in the same technology we keep using.

    I'm not holding my breath.

    1. Re:Every three weeks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm not holding my breath.

      I hope not. After a few minutes, it'll get unpleasant.

    2. Re:Every three weeks... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Every three weeks we get a breakthrough in battery technology reported, but all we ever see are incremental improvements in the same technology we keep using.

      But that's not true, although the changes do come relatively slowly. We've seen portable computers go from Alkalines to NiCD to NiMH to LiIon, that's four different battery technologies which have had their respective days powering portables. I've got examples here within arm's reach (one aside) which run on each of them; I've got a TRS-80 model 100, a GRiDPad 1910, a GRiDPad 2390 (you can run it on any of the middle kinds of battery, but nicds don't work very well and nimhs work fine) and of course various Li-Ion powered devices, respectively.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Every three weeks... by Alioth · · Score: 1

      This isn't a breakthrough, it's an incremental improvement.

      Most of the reports of new battery technologies are also useful - but incremental - improvements. You've probably only been seeing one actual report of an actual breakthrough once a decade. Don't let the breathless press releases fool you.

    4. Re:Every three weeks... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Actually we still use alkalines,

      In portable computing devices? Virtually none of them will still accept anything but a li-ion. I was speaking specifically of portables, try to stay on topic there kiddo.

      nickel cadmiums and nickel-metal hydrides were never popular, due to them being crap,

      Thanks for disqualifying yourself from this discussion. You clearly have no idea what you are on about. NiCd and NiMh both had their days in portable computers. Since I actually have a great example of this in my possession, I'm really not sure why you're even arguing about it, except your ignorance.

      and lithium ions are only used in laptops and phones.

      Only? I've got a bluetooth GPS right here that takes one.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. Re:I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market by EndlessNameless · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wonder when, if, and which might make it to market.

    It takes years to go from "we did it once or twice in a lab" to "commercial product is ready to ship". At best.

    Engineering work takes time, especially when the product is targeting an established market.

    --

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    According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
  9. Re:Do they work? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    If only we were familiar with other aqueous battery technologies and knew their hazards.

    Like electrolysis of the water and hydrogen explosions.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  10. Was about to develop Li-Ion battery pack by Provocateur · · Score: 2

    Was working on some designs for a rechargeable sprinkler system to extinguish fires caused by these battery packs.

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  11. Re:I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market by ctilsie242 · · Score: 2

    With all the battery advances, it would be nice to see at least 3-4 types of batteries, with the chemistry optimal for each application:

    1: Lead-acid battery replacements. Goal is for inexpensive technology to allow these to go below 50% SoC without permanent damage. Some research is done with graphite supercaps, to allow deeper discharge without damage, be as stated by another, I'll believe it once it hits Amazon.

    2: Very high energy density. Cell phones are not getting any more thrifty with battery life, especially with the pressure to add GPU and other items, as well as the bloating of apps and other gewgaws to provide analytics to all the tons of companies sucking that data off the device.

    3: A stable chemistry, so if the cell is punctured or breached, it doesn't cause an explosiion.

    4: Long lived cells made for giving low amounts of power for years or decades.

    5: Cells made to take extreme environments, be it radiation, cold in space, high pressures of deep sea exploration, etc.

    What would be useful is lead-acid battery replacements, with chemistry that has a lot larger charge/discharge rate.

  12. Dupe by Luthair · · Score: 1

    Isn't this the 800th time we've seen someone claiming this? Maybe stop giving this topic press until someone starts building a factory.

    1. Re:Dupe by nasch · · Score: 2

      Maybe you should stop reading articles posted to science.slashdot.org, because none of those will be about things being built in a factory.

  13. Re:Do they work? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    Or are the safeguards working against the product?

    According to the summary they work.

    Looking at the paper on this, they are about half the energy density of modern Lithium batteries. We'll have to see if they can bring those numbers up.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  14. Re:I wonder if it will beat the zinc-air to market by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    With all the battery advances, it would be nice to see at least 3-4 types of batteries, with the chemistry optimal for each application:

    We kinda have that already.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  15. The ultimate test: by TheOuterLinux · · Score: 1

    I'll put it in my Galaxy Note 7

  16. Nothing by kristofer.vesi · · Score: 2

    Nothing is perfect. There are no WaterPROOF phones, but WaterRESISTANT phones, it will be Fire RESISTANT not Fire PROOF. Title says "No Fire Risk" at all? Small or little fire risk.

  17. Who gets it first? by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

    The problem I have with battery technology development is that it doesn't make it to the average consumer for years because one industry controls it for the first few years. Lithium Sulfur looks great. 2 to 4 times the energy density of Lipo. But I won't be able to buy packs for my quadcopter until the automotive industry is done using it.

    1. Re:Who gets it first? by hparker · · Score: 1

      Nah! You can buy those Lithium Sulfurr batteries today thru several sources. See for example, https://www.alibaba.com/showro...

  18. Re:Big trouble for Hollywood by fisted · · Score: 1

    Yeah I wonder about that too, because movies always depict reality exactly as it is.