Korean Media: China Overcomes Core Challenge in Solid-State Battery Technology!
On August 14, South Korean media outlet Choice Economy published an article stating that Chinese scientists have solved a core challenge in solid-state battery technology. With the development of a new lithium alloy anode, ultra-fast charging comparable to refueling has become possible, and the battery’s charge-discharge cycle life exceeds 2,000 times. According to assessments, the era of fully charging electric vehicles within 10 minutes is just around the corner.
The research team led by Wu Jianfei from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a super-fast-charging lithium alloy anode material for solid-state batteries, achieving complete charge and discharge within just 72 seconds.
This is considered a major technological breakthrough by China in the field of next-generation batteries. The research findings were published in the latest issue of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, an international academic journal published by the American Chemical Society.
The key feature of this technology lies in its ability to maintain high reversible capacity even under extreme fast charge/discharge conditions of 50C, effectively realizing "charging speed as fast as refueling." Moreover, after more than 2,000 charge-discharge cycles, the battery’s capacity retention remains as high as 80%.
The research team proposed a novel design concept called the "electron-ion synergistic conductive network."
In simple terms, by leveraging the multiphase structure of lithium-aluminum, lithium-zinc, and lithium-silicon alloys, the team constructed independent "highways" inside the battery for both electrons and lithium ions to move freely and efficiently.
This innovation successfully addresses core challenges in current solid-state battery anodes, including slow electron transport, degradation of solid-solid interfaces, and declining lithium-ion mobility.
Naturally, laboratory performance differs from real-world vehicle performance. The "72-second charging" result was achieved under extreme test conditions on small-capacity cells in the lab. Therefore, it does not mean that large-scale battery packs—measuring tens of kilowatt-hours used in future electric vehicles—will also be fully charged within one minute.
Nevertheless, the significance of this technology is substantial, as it masters the core materials required for ultra-fast charging. According to assessments, if this technology can be applied to high-capacity batteries in the future, electric vehicles being fully charged within 10 minutes will become the norm.
On the other hand, commercialization still requires time. Although significant progress has been made in the underlying principles, several stages must be completed before lab-scale technology can be applied to mass-produced vehicles. These include prototype development, pilot-line validation, automotive safety evaluation, and establishment of full-scale manufacturing processes.
The industry currently forecasts that solid-state batteries will achieve large-scale production and application in automobiles between 2027 and 2030.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873500326872199/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.