Stanford Battery Shuts Down Before Overheating

Jan-11-16 Standord researchers have created a lithium-ion battery that will automatically shut down to avoid overheating, and then restart when it reaches a cool temperature.

Although there are lithium-ion batteries on the market that will warn the user or shut down before overheating, the techniques are irreversible, rendering the battery unusable afterwards.

The Stanford battery overcomes that obstacle using nanotechnology—in this case, a sensor made up of spiky particles coated with graphene and layer of carbon one atom thick. Those particles were then embedded in a polyethylene film attached to one of the battery electrodes, allowing the current to flow through it if the spiky particles are in contact with one another. However, if the spikes separate, as will happen during thermal expansion, the current will not flow and the battery will temporarily shut down.

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[EUREKALERT.ORG]
[NEWS.STANFORD.EDU]

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