Researchers from the University of Twente (MESA+ Institute) in the Netherlands have developed an anode for lithium-ion batteries that they claim speeds up charging by ten times.
By using nickel niobate for the anode of lithium-ion batteries researchers said they could increase the charging speed without the risk of damaging the material.
Nickel niobate is more compact than graphite, so it has a higher ‘volumetric’ energy density.
The research team tested the first full battery cells with the new anode material with various existing cathode materials.
They concluded the material would be ideal for introducing it into an energy grid, in electrically powered machines, or in electrically powered heavy transport.
The technology is not yet ready for use in electrical vehicles.
The researchers published their first results in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
The new material nickel niobate (NiNb2O6) appears to return to its original level after fast charging due to its ‘open’ and regular crystal structure, resulting in channels for charge transport that are identical.
In the search for alternatives, new types of nano-structured materials are an option, but un channels organized in a random way may cause deposits of lithium on the anode material, resulting in poorer performance after every cycle.
Manufacturing these materials is also complicated— for nickel niobate, a cleanroom infrastructure is not necessary.
The new anode will also work for alternatives for lithium, research leader Professor Mark Huijben says.
The paper ‘Nickel Niobate Anodes for High Rate Lithium-ion batteries’.
