SK on, a subsidiary of SK innovation battery, has successfully co-developed an oxide-based solid electrolyte with the world’s highest lithium-ion conductivity.
On Aug. 31, SK on announced that the research results on the oxide-based solid electrolyte, co-developed with Professor Park Hee-Jung’s research team from Dankook University’s Department of New Materials Engineering, were published on the cover of the globally renowned journal “Advanced Functional Materials (IF 19.9).” Both SK on and Dankook University’s joint research team have completed patent applications domestically and internationally for this technology.
This solid electrolyte has significantly increased lithium-ion conductivity while ensuring atmospheric stability. By adjusting the additives of the oxide-based solid electrolyte material, Li-La-Zr-O (lithium-lanthanum-zirconium-oxygen; LLZO), the SK on-Dankook research team improved the lithium-ion conductivity by 70%, setting a new world record.
Furthermore, even though increased lithium-ion conductivity often results in decreased stability, this issue was overcome using a technique that uniformly controls the microstructure of LLZO. While solid electrolytes are typically sensitive to moisture (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2), degrading their performance over time, this new solid electrolyte displayed outstanding stability.
Battery capacity can also be significantly increased. While liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries (LiB) typically have a maximum operating voltage of 4.3 V, using the oxide-based solid electrolyte can push this up to 5.5 V. In theory, this means that battery capacity could be increased by up to 25%.