Recently published in Nature, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52766-9 LG Chem has developed a thin membrane said to greatly reduce the chance of fire in Li-Ion batteries. From the abstract,
Integrating safety features to cut off excessive current during accidental internal short circuits in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) can reduce the risk of thermal runaway. However, making this concept practical requires overcoming challenges in both material development and scalable manufacturing. Here, we demonstrate the roll-to-roll production of a safety reinforced layer (SRL) on current collectors at a rate of 5 km per day. The SRL, made of molecularly engineered polythiophene (PTh) and carbon additives, interrupts current flow during voltage drops or overheating without adversely affecting battery performance. Impact testing on 3.4-Ah pouch cells shows that the SRL reduces battery explosions from 63% to 10%.
The full paper is available, no paywall.
Also covered in more popular language in Motor Trend, https://www.motortrend.com/news/lg-chem-runaway-ev-battery-fire-suppresion-technology/
... The only catch, now, is that testing has only truly begun. Scaling up to larger capacity battery packs—ones used in EVs, as highlighted by the study—are to begin in 2025. It seems that the CTO of LG Chem, Lee Jong-gu, believes this safety feature will come sooner rather than later: "This is a tangible research achievement that can be applied to mass production in a short period of time. We will enhance safety technology to ensure customers can use electric vehicles with confidence and contribute to strengthening our competitiveness in the battery market." We're sure that many firefighters and motorsports events are probably begging LG Chem to make this technology a top priority.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 07, @11:39AM (2 children)
Stated ultra simply, they are adding mass to the battery, which will act as a heat sink. It's not a lot of mass, so the heat sink isn't huge, but that factor is there. Admittedly, the articles don't really play that up.
More importantly, there's a thermally activated "insulator" that's going to break the circuit. Sounds cool. The second article calls it a fuse. There's nothing here to not like, other than my double negative.
I'm reading a lot of optimism in the articles. They're going to ramp this up for production on an assembly line in the next year to 15 months? Good luck with that! I'll believe it when I see the first batteries advertised with a label, "Ultra safe! New technology! Fire resistant, long life batteries!"
Oh, wait, my bad. I'll believe it when reputable battery manufacturers apply such labels to their products. No-name knockoffs are likely to apply such labels next month. We already have fake name brand batteries available on Ebay and elsewhere. Shop carefully and wisely and all that, right?
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Monday October 07, @01:40PM
Stated ultra simply, your second paragraph is the payload and the first paragraph is superfluous.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07, @05:27PM
> I'll believe it when reputable battery manufacturers apply such labels to their products.
If you believe them, LG is such a company, see: https://www.lgessbattery.com/ [lgessbattery.com]
My guess is they will offer it on their own batteries first--as an added value but at minimal extra cost. The fire suppressing layer is very thin plastic, can't cost much because there is so little of it.