More Affordable Lithium-Ion Batteries on the Way
- Jul 29, 2008 7:06 PM EST
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Professor Arumugam Manthiram from the University of Texas at Austin has a devised a new and more affordable method of manufacturing lithium iron phosphate for lithium ion batteries. Lithium iron phosphate is seen as a favorable alternative to the traditional lithium cobalt oxide used in lithium ion batteries since iron is cheaper than cobalt. Even if lithium iron phosphate tends to store less energy than lithium cobalt oxide, it could deliver large bursts of power when needed, making it favorable for use in hybrid vehicles.
Unfortunately, the manufacturing process of lithium iron phosphate batteries isn't as cost-effective as we'd like. This is because the process requires a temperature of 700 degrees Celsius and hours of labor. This new process by Professor Manthiram microwaves a mixture of chemicals (phosphoric acid, lithium hydroxide, and iron acetate) for five minutes. This heats the mixture to 300 degrees Celsius which then forms rod-shaped lithium iron phosphate particles. The lower temperature could indeed equate to lesser energy demands, but the cost-effectiveness of the whole process is yet to be determined. Still, it's a breakthrough worth monitoring, and hopefully, it does address the issue it's supposed to in the future.