Researchers improve Li-on battery life, increase capacity 30 percent

Although's Moore's Law continues to race along, battery tech hasn't nearly kept up pace -- so we're excited by developments like the one just announced by Argonne National Labs, which has managed to increase Li-on capacity by 30 percent while making the batteries safer and longer-lasting. The secret ingredients in Argonne's new juice box are a new composite battery material that's partially electrically inactive and manganese oxide-based electrodes in place of the traditional cobalt oxide. Argonne says it's already licensed the tech to Japanese manufacturer Toda Kogyo, which has the capability to produce 30 million laptop batteries a year, but the lab is still working on improving charging rates -- while it's adequate for laptops and cellphones, the battery will need to discharge at least three times faster to work in a car. No word on when we might see these start shipping, but you can bet "manganese battery" is being added to our dream machine spec list right... now.

[Via ExtremeTech]

[JuggleNuts @ Apr 10th 2008 1:17AM]

Damn it! I was just about to suggest they do that! *sigh of moment-too-late frustration*

[sinjinn @ Apr 10th 2008 8:04AM]

they stole my idea

[RoboDan @ Apr 10th 2008 1:20AM]

So you're saying my X61s will now have 10.4 hours of battery life?

I'll take two

[Darkest Daze @ Apr 10th 2008 1:24AM]

This will definitely be great for smartphones. Surfing the net can be a decent drain on their batteries.

[Pradster @ Apr 10th 2008 1:28AM]

the phone with the 666 day charge will now last 866 days! we have finally rid the devil!
WOOT!

:P

[Jordan @ Apr 10th 2008 1:43AM]

The 512.3076923076923076923076923076923076923... phone turns into the new devil.

[matjet @ Apr 10th 2008 5:48AM]

the 665.99999999999999999999999999988 phone you mean?

[miko34 @ Apr 10th 2008 1:29AM]

Although this is a nice achievement, I won't be happy until my laptop can get at least 50 hours on a single charge while using Wi-Fi and my cell phone will function with 3G or 4G access for a full month. Is that too much to ask?

[mac @ Apr 10th 2008 1:38AM]

Yes

[ethana2 @ Apr 10th 2008 2:33AM]

50 hours?

I just want about half that or a quarter...

[Pradster @ Apr 10th 2008 6:24AM]

your christmas wishlist must be the running joke of santas factory!
:D

[ingus @ Apr 10th 2008 1:31AM]

wow! improvements on battery power? 30% increase no less? this is great news!

[sinjinn @ Apr 10th 2008 8:06AM]

yeah, maybe cnn will pick this up.

[omnicloud @ Apr 10th 2008 10:26AM]

They'll still explode/catch on fire.

[Ken @ Apr 10th 2008 1:41AM]

30% is serious!

My Dell with 9-cell gets 7 hours of surfing the information super highway ( :p ), this would take it to 9 hours. Real gains.

[Vance @ Apr 10th 2008 1:42AM]

We're always hearing about these stunning new developments in battery technology, yet every fracking new computer/gadget gets the same battery life (or worse) than the previous generation.

I used to have a phone that would go two weeks before recharging. That was back when phones were tools, not toys.

[sinjinn @ Apr 10th 2008 8:19AM]

battery tech improvements are cancelled out by the shrinking size of the battery. its assumed that current battery life is acceptable and minituristion (cosmetics) generally sells better than battery life(which cannot advertise itself ), so manufacturers go with with the looks.. even though the battery has better qualifications, and went to a better college.

[Abuzar @ Apr 10th 2008 1:42AM]

Wouldn't it be cool if we could use our piss to power our laptops.

I think that would be awesome.

[Jordan @ Apr 10th 2008 1:48AM]

You should become god for suggesting something so great.

[Darkest Daze @ Apr 10th 2008 1:51AM]

Would the smell really be worth it?

Don't answer that!

[Abuzar @ Apr 10th 2008 1:53AM]

My piss is better than yours!

It doesn't smell.

[KangMin @ Apr 10th 2008 2:07AM]

go see a doctor, that's not healthy

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Apr 10th 2008 6:02AM]

Urine batteries. Been there, done that.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0818_050818_urinebattery.html

[sinjinn @ Apr 10th 2008 8:21AM]

thats a really good idea. i can recharge batteries in my arm pits so anythings possible.

[Chebwa @ Apr 10th 2008 2:15AM]

New Engadget layout... confusing... icons overlapping everything... AAAHHHHH!

[Chebwa @ Apr 10th 2008 2:15AM]

Holy crap I commented and everything fixed itself.

Now that's service. Thanks AOL!

[ethana2 @ Apr 10th 2008 2:35AM]

AOL? That would explain it, but....

Man, I actually /like/ this! ...it feels like the code got a ton cleaner.
..it certainly looks a lot better.

Anybody care to illuminate exactly what changes were made?

[dagamer34 @ Apr 10th 2008 2:44AM]

Galleries apparently use AJAX to only refresh the image and not the page. Awesome!

[boe @ Apr 10th 2008 3:07AM]

I love the thought of better, safer, more powerful batteries with faster charge times and longer power life.

What I don't love is how long it takes to go from theory/testing to Walmart/Target.

Where I the nanocell batteries I read about a couple of years ago - charge in seconds and I believe they were supposed to be 10 times as powerful as lithium cells?

Where are the plastic batteries I read about a year ago - also using a honeycomb design for quick charging?

Was it Lithium Polymer w/Iron or Silver batteries that were going to hold us over till nanotube batteries hit the market?

Lots of claims of incredible battery technology in the last few years - none of it is in my phone, laptop, car, flashlight... and I doubt it will be any time soon.

[Wwhat @ Apr 10th 2008 12:12PM]

That's what you get from reading sites like this, lots of hopeful announcements and concepts that never come to fruition, annoying but there you have it.

[Michael @ Apr 10th 2008 3:47AM]

Does this mean that instead of catching fire, they'll now explode?

[substance90 @ Apr 10th 2008 4:35AM]

Dear Engadget, it`s called Li-Ion and not li-on ;)
Thanks for the info though.

[Pradster @ Apr 10th 2008 6:26AM]

Naaah! they will burn for 30% longer!

[Plate @ Apr 10th 2008 8:58AM]

Man, that's awesome -- and I work there.
I wonder what else they've come out with recently and forgot to tell everyone about.

[gwynethh @ Apr 10th 2008 9:50AM]

I'm a little confused. "but the lab is still working on improving charging rates -- while it's adequate for laptops and cellphones, the battery will need to discharge at least three times faster" Are they trying to fix charging and discharging or just faster discharging?

[Wwhat @ Apr 10th 2008 10:52AM]

I quote:
The researchers' next step is improving the rate at which the composite material can be charged and discharged so that it can be used in hybrid vehicles. As it's made now, the Argonne material can be completely discharged in about three hours--fast enough for laptops but far too slow for a car. Discharging rates will need to be at least three times faster, and likely more, for the technology to work in plug-in hybrids, vehicles in which the battery can be recharged from a conventional electrical outlet.

[Wwhat @ Apr 10th 2008 10:48AM]

30 million a year eh, that hardly seems enough.

[James @ Apr 10th 2008 1:17PM]

So does that mean they will now be 30% more likely to explode or catch on fire???