5 key routes to better li-ion batteries, discussed by IDTechEx.
The current iteration of Li-ion batteries, which are based on graphite anodes, liquid electrolytes, and cathode materials such as NMC and LFP, are generally considered to be reaching their performance limits.
However, from cell materials to battery designs, there are still several routes that can lead to further improvements in performance and cost.
A shift from graphite to silicon
Promising significant improvements in energy density and performance, silicon anodes offer an exciting alternative to the incumbent graphite anodes used.
While silicon material has been used in the anode in small quantities of <5 wt%, moving beyond its use as an additive has proved difficult due to its inherent volume expansion and resulting stability and cycle life issues.
However, silicon anode…