Researchers develop fire-safe lithium-ion batteries

A team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) is working on a non-flammable lithium-ion Dell Latitude E6400 battery. Unlike conventional power saving, the new development is based on a solid electrolyte and therefore is not flammable.

In the material that is used by a team led by Kai-Christian Miller, there is a plastic (polymer) from the group of substances called ormocers. These are compounds with silicon-oxygen chains that form an inorganic structure, depend on the organic side chains. Continue to allow the flow of current lithium-ion.

"We have succeeded in replacing the inflammable organic electrolytes with a non-combustible, dimensionally stable polymer," says Miller. As a result, the safety of lithium-ion Dell Inspiron 1720 battery improve significantly. In addition, the electrolyte can not leak out of a solid substance. "Typically, decreases the conductivity of a polymer, the harder it is, we had numerous parameters, we could adjust -.. For example, we use coupling elements with two, three or four arms"

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used as an energy supplier and are used in almost all mobile devices like cell phones and laptops. For the current memory speaks their high energy density and the lack of memory effect, the other battery types exhibit. However, the products prove to be problematic for their safety. This problem was the industry well known, but was accepted.

The public was the danger of fire in late 2006 was a series of recalls of well-known PC manufacturers out drastically. "The main problem with lithium-ion Dell Inspiron 1545 battery, the lithium," then said the battery expert Rolf Zinniker of the ETH Zurich. Lithium is very unstable and react to water with evolution of hydrogen very aggressive.

At the Hanover Fair presented by researchers at the ISC the first prototype of its rechargeable Dell Inspiron 1520 battery development. Indeed until the product in cell phones, PDAs, laptops or cordless drills are used, however, would take several years, the researchers said. Currently needed in particular the conductivity of the energy storage can be further improved. In about five years, will the performance of the new Dell Inspiron 1525 battery technology, however, nearly correspond to the current products, says Moeller.