LITHIUM: Researchers in Canada develop million-mile lithium-ion battery

NEW BRUNSWICK – A group of scientists led by Jeff Dahn, a professor at Canada’s Dalhousie University and a research partner with Tesla, published a paper in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society where they present the concept of a new battery able to power an electric vehicle for over one million miles. The battery, thus, could make Tesla’s robot taxis and long haul electric trucks viable. It is also expected to last at least two decades in grid energy storage. The power cell uses a nickel-rich alloy for its cathode. The alloy contains 50% nickel, 20% cobalt, and 30% manganese and it is considered to be very stable. The cells’ ratio of energy storage ability to weight is 20% higher than that of the cathodes used in lithium-ion batteries used in electronic devices. According to the researchers – who have been working on the model for over three years – their product should serve as a benchmark for academics and companies developing advanced lithium-ion cell chemistries. “These results are far superior to those that have been used by researchers modelling cell failure mechanisms and as such, these results are more representative of modern Li-ion cells and should be adopted by modellers,” they wrote in their paper. This story originally appeared on www.Mining.com.