Scientists at the University of Illinois believe they’ve stumbled upon a breakthrough that could eventually lead to the development of a lithium-ion battery that, much like some parts of the human body, actually heals itself.
The researchers took an in-depth look at rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is used in everyday items – cellphones, laptop computers and digital cameras – and discovered that those batteries tend to degrade over time.
Scott White, a University of Illinois materials engineer, stated, “There are many different types of degradation that happen, and fixing this degradation could help us make longer-lasting batteries.” White claims that an anode of a lithium-ion battery, which swells while charging and then shrinks during the discharge cycle, can eventually crack and that, in due time, is what can lead to a battery’s demise.
After extensive testing, the University of Illinois scientists discovered that by embedding tiny self-healing polymers that tear open and release indium gallium arsenide (a liquid metal alloy) the microscopic cracks in the anode could be filled in, thus rejuvenating the lithium-ion battery and potentially extending its useful life.
