Researchers develop battery for electric cars without cobalt, cheaper and free of pollutants 

US researchers have developed a battery for electric cars that does not use cobalt. The new component promises to be much cheaper, efficient and free of pollutants.

Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in the United States, are working on the development of a new way of production capable of generating better and cheaper cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, currently used in eletric cars and electronic equipment. According to the scientists, this new cobalt-free approach allows the development of more affordable energy cells, generated from a faster, less expensive system that uses a much smaller amount of toxic material during the production process.

Cobalt withdrawal will reduce battery price for electric cars

According to the co-author of the study, chemical engineer Ilias Belharouak, this new method provides the main advantage of allowing the battery industry to have a cleaner production line and with lower costs compared to the market, at the same time, in which it has a infinitely smaller carbon footprint.

The main hurdle overcome by the scientists was the elimination of the cobalt used in the production of cathodes in conventional lithium-ion energy cells. In addition to being a rare metal, much of the cobalt used in battery production is mined abroad, increasing manufacturing costs. With this new battery production method for electric and electronic cars, the researchers found a high-capacity cathode material without the use of cobalt.

Rather than continually stirring cathode materials with chemicals in a reactor, this hydrothermal synthesis approach crystallizes the cathode using metals dissolved in ethanol. According to the study's lead author, Professor Rachid Essehli, ethanol is safer to store and handle than ammonia and can then be distilled and reused. Furthermore, the time taken to produce particles and prepare the next batch of cathodes drops from a few days to less than 12 hours.

New battery designed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) scientists has safer charge and discharge cycles

The material manufactured during the production process of cobalt free batteries It has more uniform, round and well-compacted particles. These characteristics are great for the development of much more efficient and less polluting cathodes.

Another great advantage of this new production method is that it allows energy cells to become more stable, generating safer charge and discharge cycles, in addition to significantly expanding the useful life of batteries made from lithium ions.

for the teacher Rachid Essehli, as its properties are similar to those of current cobalt cathodes, the new material can be perfectly integrated into existing battery production processes, making much more energy available and reducing the price of electric cars in the future.

Solid-state battery could be the future of electric cars

The race to develop solid state batteries to replace current lithium-ion cells is increasingly fierce. Companies around the world are racing against the clock to develop a solid-state battery that is commercially viable.

The flammable liquid electrolyte in current batteries is replaced with a more stable solid in solid-state batteries, resulting in greater safety. Solid state batteries can have a higher power, faster charging rate and a longer lifespan.

The companies' golden rush to develop their first batteries and put them into production on the market aims to demonstrate that this is a lucrative category at a commercial level.