Kevlar Layer Could Prevent Battery Fires

Jan-31-15 A new lithium-ion battery embedded with a barrier of Kevlar could help to prevent battery fires while also leading to smaller batteries.

Lithium-ion battery fires are caused by metal dendrites that creep between the two electrodes and cause a short circuit. A thin, microperforated membrane is normally used to separate the electrodes, but the dendrites can still grow though if the pores are too large.

To block the dendrite growth, the team from the University of Michigan developed a membrane made from non-conductive Kevlar nanofibers. The pores of the membrane are much smaller than those in conventional separators, yet are still large enough to let the lithium ion travel through them. And because the Kevlar separator membranes are thinner, they could lead to smaller battery cell sizes with the same energy density.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[NS.UMICH.EDU]

---