Higher specific energy rates and lower costs may help lithium-sulfur cells replace their lithium-ion equivalents in such applications as electric vehicles, reports Power Electronics.
The energy storage capacities for EVs need to be significantly improved to increase their driving range. But to provide a 300-mile range, almost double the cell-level specific energy currently available in lithium-ion batteries would be required, the website reports.
In comparison, a recently developed lithium-sulfur cell employing a cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide can already reach the cell-level specific energy required for such distances, Such performance stands in stark contrast to earlier lithium-sulfur cells in which capacity faded rapidly.
The Berkeley Lab has developed a long-life, high-rate lithium-sulfur cell that features improved ionic liquid electrolyte that, in layman’s terms, provides “unprecedented level of performance and reliability,” according to the website.
Cathode material substitution, solvent-less electrode processing and recycling metals from batteries can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental effects from manufacturing lithium ion batteries, according to a study by Abt Associates for the EPA released in May.
Abt Associates says the process of manufacturing nickel and cobalt metal compounds — used to coat the cathode — and the solvents used in processing the electrode in the batteries are the primary culprits that harm the environment and the health of those exposed to the chemicals.
LG Chem and Johnson Controls currently lead the lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles market in terms of both strategy and execution, according to a leaderboard report by Navigant Research released in July.