Lithium Ion Battery Made of Sand Will Transform Cellphone and Electric Car Batteries
(Photo : Commons) A lithium ion battery has been created by sand by researchers from the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering. The battery is able to produce three times the amount of power that standard lithium ion batteries on the market can.
A lithium ion battery has been created by sand by researchers from the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering. The battery is able to produce three times the amount of power that standard lithium ion batteries on the market can.
"This is the holy grail: a low cost, non-toxic, environmentally friendly way to produce high performance lithium ion battery anodes," said Zachary Favors, a graduate student at the university.
Favors came up with the idea when he came to the realization that sand is made up of silicon dioxide, or quartz.
According to Environmental Protection Online, "He and his research team ground salt and magnesium into purified quartz, then heated the powder. Oxygen was removed, resulting in pure nano-silicon. The team is now working to produce pouch-sized batteries that are used in cell phones."
Times of India reported that "The team was fortunate that the pure nano-silicon formed had a porous three-dimensional silicon sponge like consistency. That porosity has proved to be the key to improving the performance of the batteries built with the nano-silicon."
The improved performance could have many real world implications, including boosting the expected lifespan of lithium ion batteries up to three times or more. The battery could power electric vehicles, cellphones or tablets.
Lithium Ion Battery Made of Sand Will Transform Cellphone and Electric Car Batteries : Science : Design & Trend
- Doug Horn , Design & Trend Staff Writer
- Jul, 09, 2014
(Photo : Commons) A lithium ion battery has been created by sand by researchers from the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering. The battery is able to produce three times the amount of power that standard lithium ion batteries on the market can.
A lithium ion battery has been created by sand by researchers from the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering. The battery is able to produce three times the amount of power that standard lithium ion batteries on the market can.
"This is the holy grail: a low cost, non-toxic, environmentally friendly way to produce high performance lithium ion battery anodes," said Zachary Favors, a graduate student at the university.
Favors came up with the idea when he came to the realization that sand is made up of silicon dioxide, or quartz.
According to Environmental Protection Online, "He and his research team ground salt and magnesium into purified quartz, then heated the powder. Oxygen was removed, resulting in pure nano-silicon. The team is now working to produce pouch-sized batteries that are used in cell phones."
Times of India reported that "The team was fortunate that the pure nano-silicon formed had a porous three-dimensional silicon sponge like consistency. That porosity has proved to be the key to improving the performance of the batteries built with the nano-silicon."
The improved performance could have many real world implications, including boosting the expected lifespan of lithium ion batteries up to three times or more. The battery could power electric vehicles, cellphones or tablets.
Lithium Ion Battery Made of Sand Will Transform Cellphone and Electric Car Batteries : Science : Design & Trend
