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What‘s a Solid State Battery?
2021-06-14

If we put it clearly, an all solid state battery is such a battery that contains no liquid or gas in it, and all the materials are in a solid state.

We know that the most commonly used batteries in our daily lives are lithium batteries. So, we‘ll refer to "all solid state Li ion batteries" as all-solid-state batteries (disregarding new kinds of batteries such as solid-state lithium-sulfur).

Generally stating, a Li-ion battery is normally made up of a negative electrode, a positive electrode, an electrolyte, a separator, a structural case, and so on. The electrolyte enables the current to be conducted in the form of ions inside a battery. Electrolyte technology is among the fundamental technologies of lithium battery solutions, and it is likewise extremely rewarding in the battery market. Lots of individuals might discover that some lithium batteries might swell after an extended time, and in some severe cases can be quite dangerous.

Moreover, the operating temperature level range of the current lithium-ion batteries is restricted, and the lifespan will be reduced greatly at elevated temperatures above 40 ° C, and the security performance will likewise have many issues (so the Tesla Model S will have a great battery temperature level control system simply for this purpose).

The above-mentioned security concerns are directly associated with the electrolytes of the natural systems utilized in our batteries.

In order to fix the issue of battery security and boost energy density, the research study and commercial circles are presently establishing and manufacturing all-solid-state batteries, that is, changing the electrolyte and separator of standard Li-ion batteries with solid materials as electrolyte.

What are the benefits of all-solid-state batteries as compared to the regular Li-ion batteries in our lives?

Firstly, we need to understand the primary factors that are affecting the safety of normal Li-ion batteries.

1) Electrode material qualities, such as the likelihood of lithium dendrites operating under high currents, which might pierce the diaphragm and result in damages due to short-circuits.

2) The electrolyte is a natural liquid, and the inclination to side reactions, oxidative decay, gas production, and combustion at elevated temperature levels will rise.

3) The battery quality is irregular, specifically, the battery security efficiency of small producers is not up to the standard.

4) The BMS (battery management system) is not qualified, resulting in discharging and overcharging of the battery which is dangerous.

If all-solid-state battery technologies are utilized, the above issues can be directly resolved, and the optimum operating temperature level of the acquired battery can be raised from the present 40 degrees to a greater level so that the battery can adjust to work. The larger the temperature level range, the larger the application variety.

Security is really among the most basic driving forces for the advancement of all-solid-state batteries. Let‘s discuss the benefits of solid state batteries.

The Benefits of Solid State Batteries

Light-High Energy Density

After utilizing all-solid-state electrolytes, the appropriate material system of Li-ion batteries will likewise alter. The main point is that it is not required to utilize lithium-doped graphite -ve electrodes, but to directly utilize metal lithium as the -ve electrode, which can substantially decrease the -ve electrode material. The amount of usage significantly improves the energy density of the battery.

Additionally, lots of brand-new high-performance electrode materials might not have excellent compatibility with the present electrolyte systems in the past, however, this issue can be relieved after utilizing all-solid-state electrolytes. Taking the above 2 aspects into factor, compared to regular Li-ion batteries, the energy density of these all-solid-state batteries can be considerably enhanced.

Safer

As an energy storage gadget, essentially all batteries are difficult to be definitely safe in thermodynamics. The aspects that identify the real security of batteries in useful applications are different. The influencing aspects consist of the qualities of battery electrode products, the properties of electrolytes, and BMS in electronic items.

Currently, the security of basic lithium ions is the center of everybody‘s attention. Here, "not perfect" is used to examine the security of current batteries, which ought to be a better suited assessment.

The Possibility of Versatility

The all-solid-state battery can be additionally enhanced to end up being a versatile battery, which brings added functions and experience. Even fragile ceramic products can typically be bent after the density is less than a few millimeters, and the product will end up being flexible.

Similarly, the all-solid-state battery would have a considerably enhanced flexibility after being reduced in size. By utilizing suitable product packaging products (not a steel casing), the battery can be subjected to thousands of bends to make sure that the performance is generally not reduced.

Versatile electronic gadgets represented by different wearable gadgets are crucial for the advancement of next-generation electronic items, and this demands that the parts in the item likewise require to be flexible, so these all-solid-state batteries are in the commercial and scientific circles.

Not just that, the capacity of practical all-solid-state batteries is quite more than that of versatile batteries. The enhanced battery product structure can be utilized to make stretchable or transparent batteries that can extend up to 300 %, or can be incorporated with photovoltaic gadgets. There are still lots of innovative applications when we talk about the functions of all-solid-state batteries. The imagination of engineers and scientific researchers will be more surprising in the future.

Small and Thin Size

The volume energy density is a really essential criterion for a battery. The requirements are from high to low if it is in the application field:

customer electronic devices > house electrical vehicles > electrical buses.

In general terms, the volume energy density is higher, so batteries of the exact same quality can be produced in a smaller package. The available area in electronic items is typically restricted, and lots of items (such as cellphones and tablet computer systems) have practically one-third of their quality and volume currently inhabited by the battery, and customers and producers wish to additionally boost the capacity of the battery (with compact volume and a great design).

With the greatest volume energy density, high-density lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) batteries are still the mainstream items.

In conventional Li-ion batteries, an electrolyte and a separator are needed, which together inhabit almost 40 % of the volume and 25 % of the mass in the battery.

If they are changed with solid electrolytes (generally inorganic and organic ceramic materials), the distance in between the negative and positive electrodes (traditionally having a separator electrolyte and now having a solid electrolyte) can be reduced to even a couple of microns, so that the density of the battery can be significantly reduced. So all-solid-state battery technology is the only method for reducing the battery size.

Not just that, lots of all-solid-state batteries made by physical or chemical vapor deposition (PVD/ CVD) might have a density of just a couple of micrometers. In this way, they can be composed into extremely small power gadgets and incorporated into MEMS (microelectromechanical systems). The capability to make extremely little batteries is likewise a significant function of all-solid-state battery technology, which can assist in the battery to adjust to the application of different brand-new small-sized smart electronic gadgets. At this moment, standard Li-ion battery technology is challenging to attain.

Among the essential challenges to the functionality of lots of nanomaterials today are the greater surface area and the lower bulk density. If items based upon these materials are produced, they typically inhabit excessive volume at the very same mass, i.e., the volume energy density is quite low to satisfy the basic requirements for commercial items.

It is not hard to comprehend why the criteria of this element are typically not chosen in the research study of nanometer (battery) products.

Obstacles

The advancement of solid-state batteries is presently dealing with numerous obstacles. Considering that the electrolyte products of solid-state batteries are all solid and the conductive procedure is point contact, the issue based upon user interface impedance requires to be fixed in the battery production procedure.

In addition, due to the fact that all batteries will go through volume growth and contraction throughout discharging and charging, the tolerance of these liquid batteries is much, but solid batteries might split. As far as we talk about the present state of technology, there is still much space for enhancement in circulation devices.

The First Issue:

The expense is still high and the preparation procedure is made complex. The technology is also not fully grown enough.

Currently, the electrolyte of all-solid-state lithium batteries generally consists of inorganic and natural systems, and the expense is typically high. Particularly, lots of batteries of the inorganic systems are made by complicated procedures such as CVD/PVD. The slow production process makes it costly. The capacity of a battery is extremely little, and it is typically only appropriate for batteries for little electronic gadgets.

Not just that, the development of the present production technology of all-solid-state batteries is usually average, and the variety of businesses capable of building massive production capacity is really restricted. There are still numerous troubles to be gotten rid of in the scaling of technology, and it is still in the advancement stage.

The Second Issue:

It is not realistic to do fast charging.

Currently, the efficiency of all-solid-state batteries is usually less, the internal resistance is big, and the voltage decrease throughout high-rate discharge is big. It is generally difficult to anticipate this kind of technology to fix the issue of quick battery charging in the future.

Presently, some items utilizing all-solid-state batteries on the marketplace do not really operate at room temperature level. The most common example we can see is that more than 3k taxis in France utilize all-solid-state batteries (the energy density of the battery is much better than regular Li-ion batteries presently in commercial usage).

The Third Issue:

Currently, the solid-state batteries utilized in electrical automobiles are still in the research study phase, and it is not likely to figure out the schedule for commercialization. It is not likely that the numerous chemical products utilized in Li-ion batteries will be picked, and the cost is anticipated to be extremely high. Mass production will also be challenging.

Additionally, although Toyota stated that the time taken to charge these solid-state batteries is two times as long as that of the lithium batteries, the efficiency of solid-state batteries is exceptionally vulnerable to temperature levels. To put it simply, solid-state batteries are most likely to attain real fast-charge effects at a little elevated temperature level. Lots of players in the market are likewise doubtful of Toyota‘s strategy, believing that the company‘s mass production of these battery packs is not hard.

These declarations appear to confirm Musk‘s claims that "the solid-state battery technology is currently not on the roadway, and is still in the research study and advancement phase".

Solid-State Battery Design

Lots of start-ups and commercial giants have actually currently invested a chunk of their cash in the all-solid-state battery market.

Toyota of Japan, Sakti3 of the United States, and Bolloré of France have technological maturity and much deeper technological build-up. These 3 businesses likewise represent the normal technology advancement instructions of the 3 solid electrolytes of sulfide, oxide, and polymer. Samsung makes use of a sulfide electrolyte system, while Bolloré (more known in Europe) makes use of a polymer electrolyte system.

Generally, all-solid-state batteries are among the mainstream advancements for the next action in battery technology through battery research studies and industry circles. This battery type still has a long way to go. If you are searching for the best kind of batteries from a company that is also known for satisfying all the questions of their customers, then you should definitely head on to Melasta. Lithium batteries are the present and future and you should definitely invest in them. Get in touch with us if you have any questions! Alternatively, you can browse our categories of batteries and select and buy what you like.