Why carmakers are in love with LIB and how it all started.

 

 

From lead-acid batteries to LIB, we want our modern life gadgets to be ubiquitous, stylish, sleek, powerful, and sexy.

In the LIB -Lithium Ion- batteries used in vehicles today chemical reactions do not need to occur for electricity to be generated or for the battery to be recharged. And there is hype around electric vehicles with the overall projected growth of electric vehicles of up to 30% by 2030 ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾.

But how did we become this battery-smart?

Much research has gone into battery development ever since Alessandro Volta’s first battery impressed the scientific world. There are still roadblocks for  a more efficient battery:  weight, energy density, re-charging rates, useful life. Manufacturing cost has dropped from  $/kWh 500 in 2015 to as low as $/kWh 150. ⁽³⁾

Three distinguished scientists shared the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their contribution to change the landscape of electric batteries:

In the 1970’s, Michael Whittingham ⁽⁴⁾ described in detail the concept of intercalation for rechargeable batteries. After this, in 1977 he invented and patented the first rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

In the 1980’s John Goodenough ⁽⁵⁾ expanded on the work from Whittingham on battery materials. By using Li_xCoO₂ as a cathode material the capacity of lithium-ion batteries could be substantially increased.

Akira Yoshiro ⁽⁶⁾ followed on Goodenough’s lithium-ion battery, which had an anode of metallic lithium and a cathode of cobalt oxide ⁽³⁾. Yoshino and his collaborators made an anode of petroleum coke, which is a carbon-rich byproduct of oil refining. Charging the coke with electrons draws lithium ions into the anode.

The concept of ion intercalation departs from previous versions of batteries in the sense that no chemical reaction takes place. Instead, ions replace electrons at the cathode during charging and ions are consequently displaced by electrons during discharge. In this way, the lithium battery has a long life since the electrodes do not rapidly deteriorate because of chemical reaction.

Yoshiro filed a patent on the battery in 1985, and the first lithium-ion battery was released commercially by Sony Corporation in 1991⁽⁷⁾

References:

(1)   ELECTREK. (2019). Retrieved 10-12-2020 from https://electrek.co/2019/06/07/toyota-electric-car-images-accelerate-plan/, Retrieved Oct 2020

(2)   Growth in EV Demand 2015-2040 (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence)[JCRD4] 

(3)   Ramsey, Mike (22 June 2015). "24M Technologies Launches Cheaper-to-Produce Lithium-Ion Cell". Retrieved Oct 2020

(4)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Stanley_Whittingham, Retrieved Oct 2020

(5)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Goodenough, Retrieved Oct 2020

(6)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Yoshino, Retrieved Oct 2020

(7)   Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). Yoshiro Akira. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yoshino-Akira, Retrieved Oct 2020

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