Researchers say they've developed an ultra-fast, safer aluminum-ion battery that may soon make today's conventional lithium-ion and alkaline batteries obsolete.
In other words, the hours and hours now needed to charge smartphones, laptops, phablets and tablets may soon be a thing of the past. The new battery innovation illustrates "unprecedented charging times" of down to one minute, according to a research team at Stanford University.
Not only may it make charging quicker than starting up mobile devices, the high-performance battery is cheaper, and longer lasting than those powering digital devices today.
"We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames," said Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford, in an announcement.
The professor noted that the new battery won't catch fire, even if someone was to take a drill to it on purpose.
The battery development effort, which will be published in a paper online at the journal Nature, appears to be the most encouraging development regarding aluminum-ion batteries, which have been the focus of research for years.
Aluminum is a favorite battery element since it provides a high-charge aspect at low cost and low flammability properties.
"People have tried different kinds of materials for the cathode," Dai states in the announcement. "We accidentally discovered that a simple solution is to use graphite, which is basically carbon."
The safety aspect of using aluminum-ion is a compelling aspect, say the researchers, who put the aluminum anode, an ionic liquid electrolyte and graphite cathode inside a flexible polymer-coated pouch. The fact that the electrolyte is a salt compound that becomes liquid in room temperature settings makes it super safe, according to Stanford graduate student Ming Gong, co-lead author of the Nature study, who noted that lithium-ion batteries pose a fire hazard.
The lone drawback at this point, note the researchers, is that the developed battery only features half the voltage of the lithium battery.
"But improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It's quite exciting," said Dai.
