The pressure on those developing new battery chemistries is increasing as consumers demand the ability to use their electronic devices for longer between charges. And it seems that researchers are responding with a range of potential solutions, not only based on lithium, but also exploring other elements. Beyond that, solid state electrolytes are beginning to show promise.
There are good reasons for all this work. Apart from consumers wanting their devices to last longer between charges, manufacturers are looking for smaller batteries so they can develop smaller products. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, automotive manufacturers want the same range from smaller batteries in future electric cars or more miles from the same sized batteries as today.
One man who knows a lot about battery chemistries is Dr Yoshio Nishi, previously director of materials for Sony Research. He told a seminar in 2014 that there are 110million possible combinations of materials that could be used to create a battery, but only 30 of these have been put to practical use.
So what are the challenges when it comes to creating a battery that stores more energy per unit volume?
Graeme Purdy is Chief Executive Officer of Ilika plc (LON:IKA), which has been developing new materials for energy and electronics applications for more than a decade. It has recently developed an innovative solid state battery technology for a range of applications and is licensing the IP for use in a variety of end user markets.
There are a number of potential battery chemistries on which people have been working over the years, he pointed out. There’s a wide range of cathode and anode materials which give different performances and which can be optimised for applications such as safety and capacity. And the voltage at which these cells operate can be tuned, as can the cycle life.
