Longer-Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Apr-05-13 Researchers have developed a lithium-sulfur battery with a significantly increased lifespan—which could help make electric vehicles more attractive to consumers.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are more powerful and less expensive to manufacture than lithium-ion batteries, but they suffer from a limited lifespan. In an attempt to increase this lifespan, the team designed the battery with an anode made of a silicon-carbon compound instead of the typical metallic lithium, which improved stability. The cathode is made from elemental sulfur, and so costs less to manufacture than the conventional cobalt cathodes. The result was a button-cell battery with a lifespan of up to 1400 cycles, compared to the 200 cycles of current options.

According to Dr. Holger Althues, head of the research team, the new batteries could also have applications in smartphone and could even help to make electric flying vehicles a reality one day.

Image: The scientists at IWS have optimized the design of anode and cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries.

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