New graphene battery charges 5 times faster 

New graphene battery charges 5 times faster 

What has happened?

Scientists have developed a new Graphene-based battery material with charging speed five times faster than today’s lithium-ion batteries

Who has done it?

Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) in South Korea

Significance

• Provides promise for the next generation mobile batteries and electric vehicles
• The latest research will enable mass synthesis of Graphene at an affordable price

Problem with Li-ion

Standard lithium batteries require charging time of at least an hour to fully charge

Graphene

Among the materials looked at, Graphene, a material with high strength and conductivity, has widely become the primary source of interest

Study done

In the study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers used Graphene and mass synthesized it into a 3D form using silica (SiO2)

• This “Graphene ball” was utilized for both the anode protective layer and cathode materials. This ensured an increase of charging capacity, decrease of charging time as well as stable temperatures
• In theory, a battery based on the “Graphene ball” material requires only 12 minutes to fully charge

Graphene’s properties

• It is ultra-light yet immensely tough
• It is 200 times stronger than steel, but it is incredibly flexible.
• It is the thinnest material possible as well as being transparent.
• It is a superb conductor and can act as a perfect barrier – not even helium can pass through it.