Dear MEL Topic Readers,
One small change in battery design could reduce fires, researchers say
In addition to traditional or conventional New Year’s rituals, let us
dream about something that could make our lives significantly safer: lithium-ion
batteries that won’t heat up or catch fire. Today, our lives are heavily dependent
on lithium-ion batteries, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, power banks, headphones,
smartwatches, flashlights, pacemakers, shavers, drones, e-bikes, and EVs, to
name a few. Nearly every portable device is powered by a lithium-ion battery. However,
they contain flammable electrolytes, which could become unstable under certain
conditions, such as manufacturing defects, physical damage, overcharging, or extreme
temperatures. Last January, an Airbus A321 caught fire and burned down at Busan
airport, South Korea, when a passenger’s power bank stored in an overhead bin heated
up and caused a flame.
Recently, researchers from the University of Hong Kong proposed a lithium-ion
battery design that is stable even under extreme conditions. The most
innovative part of the innovation is a new electrolyte with two solvents that
would prevent the electrolyte from breaking down. The good news is that the
electrolyte can be injected directly into the battery cell without any new
equipment or process, so that lithium-ion battery manufacturers can bring it into
their existing production lines. Though it may still take a few years for us to
see safer mobile devices and vehicles, there is new hope for safer mobility in
our lives.
Read the article and learn about a breakthrough technology on the horizon.
This issue marks the 5,000 milestone of Topi Reading. Despite a
two-week interruption in early 2023 due to an unexpected incident, Topic
Reading has been posted daily for 13.8 years since April 12, 2012. It also
coincided with the first day of 2026. Happy New Year to Topic Readers!
