Those materials would be cheap and easy to manufacture, but so far their performance has fallen short. For years, though, much of the research on solid batteries has been focused on using organic polymers, like polyethylene oxide. The concept of taking liquid electrolytes out of battery cells isn’t new, says Lei Cheng, a chemist and battery researcher in the materials division at Argonne National Laboratory. Battery packs, which are made up of many cells together, could be denser, because their internal temperature controls and safety systems would require less space. While lithium-ion batteries have been engineered with protections to make sure they don’t catch fire or explode, removing the liquid would in turn remove the need for these costly additions.
Solid Power’s batteries could eventually improve the energy density of lithium ion batteries by about half, Campbell says, so a vehicle that used to go 350 miles before needing to be recharged might be able to stretch its range above 500 miles.ĭitching the liquid would also make it easier to build safer cells, Campbell adds. The result would be a battery that could pack more energy into a smaller space-meaning cars could go farther before running out of charge. In particular, lithium metal and silicon-based chemistries are unstable or unsafe when combined with liquid electrolyte in the cell, but could be used in theory if a solid were swapped in instead.
The approach unlocks new options for battery chemistry.
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