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Extend EV Battery Life

EV Battery Life

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60 views3 pages

Extend EV Battery Life

EV Battery Life

Uploaded by

cbre.pk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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9/8/23, 8:18 AM energytech.

com/print/content/21273276

ENERGY STORAGE

Argonne Scientists Find Secret to


Boosting Battery Performance in
Toothpaste
When scientists applied the fluoride electrolyte from the toothpaste, they found
that it created an impressive protective layer that was able to last for hundreds of
cycles
Breanna Sandridge, Senior Editor

For decades, we’ve known about the protective benefits toothpaste has on our
teeth. But recently, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National
Laboratory may have discovered a new use for this abundant and unassuming
product – protecting next-generation non-lithium-ion batteries against
performance decline.

Non-lithium-ion batteries boast an energy storage capacity double that of


lithium-ion batteries, meaning they provide greater driving distance for electric
vehicles of all sizes and weights. However, non-lithium-ion batteries’ high energy
density declines rapidly as they are charged and discharged.

To solve this challenge, scientists began looking at toothpaste – or, more


specifically, in toothpaste. What they found was an abundance of sodium
fluoride, a compound of fluorine known for its ability to protect teeth from decay.
Within this compound, they discovered a fluoride electrolyte, which is a liquid

https://www.energytech.com/print/content/21273276 1/3
9/8/23, 8:18 AM energytech.com/print/content/21273276

that lithium ions use to move between the cathode and anode to create a charge
and discharge.

In lithium metal batteries, it’s common to find the electrolyte is a liquid


composed of lithium-containing salt dissolved in a solvent. This electrolyte does
not form an adequate protective layer during the first few cycles, meaning battery
performance will deplete quickly after the first several uses.

However, when scientists applied the fluoride electrolyte from the toothpaste,
they found that it created an impressive protective layer that was able to last for
hundreds of cycles. Part of the reason for its success is its ion makeup. This new
fluoride solvent combines both positively charged and negatively charged
fluorinated components, forming what is known as an ionic liquid.

“Lithium metal batteries with our fluorinated cation electrolyte could


considerably boost the electric vehicle industry, and the usefulness of this
electrolyte undoubtedly extends to other types of advanced battery systems
beyond lithium-ion,” said John Zhang, Group Leader in Argonne’s Chemical
Sciences and Engineering division.

This new electrolyte offers several benefits. Because an extremely high yield can
be achieved in one step rather than multiple, it has a relatively lower associated
cost. The electrolyte also uses much less solvent, which is volatile and releases
contaminants, making it more environmentally friendly. The electrolyte is also
not flammable, making it a safer option.

“Lithium metal batteries with our fluorinated cation electrolyte could


considerably boost the electric vehicle industry,” said Zhang. ​“And the usefulness
of this electrolyte undoubtedly extends to other types of advanced battery
systems beyond lithium-ion.”

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9/8/23, 8:18 AM energytech.com/print/content/21273276

Source URL: https://www.energytech.com/energy-storage/article/21273276/argonne-scientists-


find-secret-to-boosting-battery-performance-in-toothpaste

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