A team of researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) developed a ‘graphene’ ball battery material that enables up to 45% increase in capacity, and five times faster-charging speeds than standard lithium-ion batteries. This breakthrough ensures next-generation secondary battery market related to mobile devices and electric vehicles.
SAIT has collaborated with Samsung SDI as well as a team from Seoul National University’s School of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Though Lithium-ion batteries are widely used on most mobile devices since 1991, standard lithium batteries requiring charging times of at least an hour to charge fully. With that in mind, Samsung technologies have started exploring next-generation battery Technology.
In theory, the graphene ball material requires only 12 minutes to fully charge and can maintain high stability even at 60 degree Celsius temperature and SAIT sought for an approach to apply graphene to batteries and discovered a mechanism to mass synthesize graphene into a 3D form like popcorn using affordable silica (SiO2).
Anode protective layer and cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries ensure an increase of charging capacity and decrease of charging time as well as stable temperatures. SAIT has also filed two applications for the “graphene ball” technology patent in the US and Korea.
Dr. Son In-hyuk, who led the project on behalf of SAIT, said:
Our research enables mass synthesis of multifunctional composite material graphene at an affordable price. At the same time, we were able to considerably enhance the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries in an environment where the markets for mobile devices and electric vehicles is growing rapidly. Our commitment is to continuously explore and develop secondary battery technology in light of these trends.