Nanotech
A Korean research team has successfully developed a tech to make a dual hive-shaped nanomembrane capable of creating a secondary cell that can be charged more quickly and last longer, using cutting-edge nanotech. After applying this material to the separation membrane of a lithium-ion battery, the new battery was able to produce 2.5 times as much power as existing ones. The charging speed of the new battery also improved by three times, and its battery life increased by more than four times.
On July 27, a research team led by Park Soo-jin and Lee Sang-young, professors of the Department of Energy Engineering of the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, announced that they succeeded in developing a tech to manufacture porous nanomembranes in different sizes, using polymer materials called block copolymers, which agglomerate together on their own if they have the same properties.
The application of this nanomembrane to the separation membrane of a lithium-ion battery resulted in exceptional improvement in electrochemical performance. The separation membrane refers to a passage for lithium ions between the positive and negative poles. As the number of pores increases in a uniform manner, the product performance of batteries improves.
Since there are regularly-spaced pores in around 70 percent of the newly-developed nanomembrane, lithium ions can easily move. As a result, it is possible to make a secondary cell that can produce more power, charge faster, and last longer.
Professor Park explained, "We've successfully developed a method to make a new nanomembrane by introducing a block copolymer to surface energy–modifying agents," adding, "Macropores and nanopores are uniformly distributed in the nanomembrane. And it is possible to change the size of pores with surface energy–modifying agents." This material is expected to be used in various kinds of industries such as water purification, biosensors, chemical engineering separation, in addition to the separation membrane of a lithium-ion battery.
Professor Lee remarked, "Our achievement is the first case using block copolymer–based porous membranes to the field of an energy storage device," adding, "We've laid the technical groundwork for the membrane science area by suggesting a new manufacturing process of porous membranes."
The research findings were published online in the July 24 issue of Science Advances, a scientific journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.