\u00a9 shutterstock\/JLStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTo understand why the lithium collects on the surface of the ceramic in some locations, but burrows deeper until it bridges across the solid electrolyte \u2013 causing a short circuit \u2013 in other locations, the team used an ion beam as a scalpel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe team found that the difference is pressure \u2013 when the probe touches the surface of the electrolyte, lithium gathers on top of the electrolyte, even when the lithium metal battery is charged in less than one minute. However, when the probe presses into the ceramic electrolyte, mimicking mechanical stresses, it is more likely that the battery short circuits.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe team aims to improve lithium metal batteries during manufacturing <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nSolid-state lithium metal batteries are made of layers upon layers of cathode-electrolyte-anode sheets stacked one atop another. The electrolyte should separate the cathode from the anode whilst allowing lithium ions to travel between the two. If the cathode and anode touch or are connected electrically, a short circuit occurs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe team demonstrated that even a subtle bend, slight twist, or speck of dust caught between the electrolyte and the lithium anode will cause imperceptible crevices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cGiven the opportunity to burrow into the electrolyte, the lithium will eventually snake its way through, connecting the cathode and anode,\u201d said McConohy. \u201cWhen that happens, the battery fails.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe researchers demonstrated the new understanding repeatedly and recorded video of the process using scanning electron microscopes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cLithium is actually a soft material, but all it takes is pressure to widen the gap and cause a failure,\u201d said Xu, a postdoctoral scholar in Chueh\u2019s lab.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nNow, the team is looking at ways to use these same mechanical forces to toughen the material during manufacturing. They are also looking at ways to coat the electrolyte surface to prevent cracks or repair them if they emerge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThese improvements all start with a single question: Why?\u201d concluded Cui, a postdoctoral scholar in Gu\u2019s lab. \u201cWe are engineers. The most important thing we can do is to find out why something is happening. Once we know that, we can improve things.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stanford University researchers have revealed that the problem with lithium metal batteries with solid electrolytes is mechanical stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":29394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24204],"tags":[649,24203],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Scientists pinpoint the problem with lithium metal batteries<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n