Chinese scientists invent Lithium batteries that can be used at minus 70 degrees
Chinese scientists have developed a lithium battery that can be used under the conditions of minus 70 degrees Celsius, which is expected to be used in the extreme cold environment and even outer space of the earth in the future.
The newest study published in the American Journal of energy which named < Joule > indicated that the new battery developed by Chinese team named Xia Yongyao at Fudan University used ethyl acetate with low freezing point, and can conduct electrical conduction at extreme low temperature as a conductive electrolyte, and they also use two kinds of organic compounds as electrode, respectively PTPAn cathode and PNTCDA anode.
Electrolyte is a chemical medium in which ions move between two electrodes, but the electrochemical reaction at the junction of electrolyte and electrode is not sustainable at low temperature.
The researchers said it is different from the electrodes used in traditional lithium batteries, the organic compounds used by this electrode without the "embedding process", that is, it is not necessary to embed lithium ions into the molecular matrix of electrodes, so that the embedding process at low temperatures is slowed down.
"Ethyl acetate and organic polymer electrodes allow rechargeable batteries to work at a very low temperature of minus 70 degrees centigrade," Xia Yongyao said.
The traditional lithium battery has a performance of 50% at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and has an optimum level of 50% at minus 40 degrees Celsius. The best level is 12%. The temperature in extremely cold regions such as Russia and Canada is below 57 degrees Celsius. In space, the temperature is even below 157 degrees Celsius.
Xia Yongyao said that compared with the electrode materials of traditional lithium batteries, the materials of new batteries are abundant, cheap and environmental friendly. He expects that the price of this material is only about 1/3 of that of the former.
However, the researchers admit that the main challenge facing the commercialization is that the unit mass energy of the battery is not as good as that of the commercialized lithium battery, and the production process needs to be optimized. Nevertheless, Xia Yongyao thinks it has great potential for application.
