A hybrid anode of lithium and graphite has significantly extended the lifecycle of lithium-sulphur batteries at Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory (PNNL), US.
Lithium-sulphur holds the promise of four times greater energy density than lithium-ion but is prone to short life due to sulfation.
Research into lithium-sulphur has previously focused on overcoming sulfation by stopping the sulphur leaking from the cathode. However, the team at PNNL instead looked at ways to protect the anode with a shielding graphite layer.
This layer redirects the sulphur from the anode to stop it forming a damaging surface layer. The research team claims the hybrid anode increases the cyclelife to four times that of a lithium-sulphur battery with a standard anode– tipping 400 charge-discharge cycles.
The graphite layer does, however, decrease energy density by 11%.
Further tests are being undertaken to test the battery’s effectiveness in real-world applications.
