Uses graphene and carbon nanomaterials
Batteries remain one of the areas where multiple industries (including electric cars) invest heavily in research, as there is still a lot of room for improvement. Now, the University of Valencia has created a new type of battery that could be revolutionary.
Developed together with Graphenano, it dispenses with both current collectors and metal terminals, using instead both graphene and carbon nanomaterials. The result? A battery that is lighter, more efficient and lighter.
The researchers point out that eliminating the copper, aluminum or steel sheets that are usually used to evacuate the electrical current, as well as the tabs that transfer the energy from the inside out, considerably reduces the weight and volume of the batteries, also improving its energy density between 30 and 60%.
In addition to these benefits, the use of graphene and other carbon nanomaterials also eliminates the risk of accidents due to fires due to contact with water and explosions.
Martín Martínez, CEO of Graphenano, has declared: “We have patented a technology that solves the problem of battery safety with a disruptive approach.”
“Our system provides such chemical stability that the battery does not burn on contact with water, even in the presence of water, and this eliminates the heavy safety shields of current batteries,” he concludes.
For his part, Gonzalo Abellán, leader of the 2DChem (ICMol) group, adds: “Doing without these scarce metals on Earth undoubtedly impacts the economy and global geostrategy.”
And he emphasizes: “This is a very versatile system that can be used in different chemistries, such as those that use lithium or sodium, and that opens up a new field in silicon batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells and hydrogen electrolysers.”
Source: University of Valencia