Microwave process could cut cost of lithium-ion batteries

While there's plenty of folks out there focused on making lithium-ion batteries safer and longer-lasting, there's also thankfully some dedicated to making 'em cheaper, which is especially welcome when we're talking about the expensive batteries powering cars. Among those in the latter camp is University of Texas at Austin professor Arumugam Manthiram, who has devised a method of using microwaves to heat a concoction of commercially available chemicals, which ultimately results in the Rorschach test of rod-shaped particles of lithium iron phosphate pictured above. While the use of lithium iron phosphate instead of the more commonly used lithium cobalt oxide apparently cuts back on the total amount of energy the batteries can store, it is apparently particularly well-suited to delivering large bursts of power, which should make the batteries ideal for use in hybrid vehicles. What's more, while the actual cost of the materials may not be much cheaper than other solutions, the sheer speed at which Manthiram's process works could allow for higher production rates from the same amount of equipment, which should result in cheaper batteries by the time they roll off the assembly line.

[Via Daily Tech]

[v3xx @ Jul 30th 2008 7:10PM]

"Microwave process could cut cost of lithium-ion batteries"

its good to hear the news doesn't change a week after the world hears it. i guess better late than never.

[OneLove @ Jul 31st 2008 12:57PM]

At first glance I thought "Arumugam Manthiram" was the new battery name. lol.

[bolezhinkov @ Jul 30th 2008 7:11PM]

awesome! of course they'll be cheaper if you take less time to make it. there is some formula for that but I can't remember it.

[Podaman @ Jul 30th 2008 7:42PM]

Ahh yes, the classic Eisenbergerer formula:

TIME TO MAKE * ???? = CHEAPER

Where ???? is your favorite number.

[James @ Jul 30th 2008 8:16PM]

bolezhinkov:

time - ??? = PROFIT! ($$$)

or in word/gnome form.

1. Produce batteries cheaper.
2. ???
3. PROFIT! ($$$)

Either way it's all good.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 8:23PM]

Poddude,

you forgot "Profit"

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 8:34PM]

thanks a million, weblogs inc, for hiding James' comment, thereby making me redundant. you're the best. and by best i mean it's a crime someone gets paid for that code.

[bolezhinkov @ Jul 30th 2008 8:35PM]

oh I see it still - for references sake, profit should be in there somewhere, you're right. maybe what I was actually thinking was time = money.

[Shinigami @ Jul 30th 2008 7:26PM]

"by the time they roll off the assembly line"?
Like 1 month? Or like 20 years?

[Jake @ Jul 30th 2008 7:33PM]

speed

[idiot @ Jul 30th 2008 7:33PM]

Arumugam Manthiram -- that's so metal

[Ricardo @ Jul 30th 2008 7:56PM]

Boring, I want to see those nanowire batteries that are supposedly 20x better than regular ones.

[andres @ Jul 30th 2008 8:02PM]

well, i want to see improved ultracapacitors.

[itlnstln @ Jul 31st 2008 9:03AM]

@Andres

Flux Capacitor > Ultra Capacitor

Just for the record...

[Alex @ Jul 30th 2008 8:07PM]

Right. Another innovation. I've been hearing about these innovations for years now, and I still have to put up with 1100 mah batteries in smartphones. I know I'm being impatient here, but every university and company out there keeps giving us news of some new breakthrough and nothing has changed.

[Bleck @ Jul 30th 2008 8:55PM]

So if I stick my DS battery in the microwave it will become cheaper?

[Darryl @ Jul 30th 2008 9:04PM]

Even better, it'll become worthless!

[phrogg @ Jul 30th 2008 10:00PM]

If by "cheaper" you mean "of a lower quality", i'd wager yes.

[Matt @ Jul 31st 2008 12:23AM]

Hook 'em, Arumugam!

[2n2222 @ Jul 31st 2008 5:25AM]

It's a good idea to remember that batteries don't improve very much, nor very often. Your cell phone, laptop computer and iPod require smaller batteries than past versions because improved electronics have reduced their power requirements. This won't happen in an electric car: those hills are going to be just as steep, and air resistance won't change either. Right now there are no batteries that are particularly suitable for use in an electric automobile; perhaps this manufacturing improvement will help.

[ds @ Jul 31st 2008 11:03AM]

"particularly suitable" is a strange phrase to use there considering there are electric cars all over the world driving around right now on batteries. Granted there is always room for improvement..

[Carcus @ Jul 31st 2008 11:20AM]

"It's a good idea to remember that batteries don't improve very much, nor very often."

A quick search for battery replacements for my Wallstreet G3 laptop (circa 1998) and ipod 3rd generation (circa 2005) shows that replacement batteries are available with 28% and 35% more power than the original batteries. I'd say those numbers constitute "much" and "often".

http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Powerbook-G3-Battery-Wallstreet-LI-ION---NEW-p-16406.html
http://www.ipodbatterydepot.com/shopping/productdetails.asp?category1=&recordid=3

"Right now there are no batteries that are particularly suitable for use in an electric automobile"

Judging by the loads of positive reviews RAV4EV owners have given their electric vehicles (not to mention the outlandish ebay resale prices), the battery technology of 10 years ago was "suitable".

So...... to 2n2222: you are just flat wrong. If oil prices stay high and battery prices come down, you are going to see electric vehicle sales go through the roof.

[Carcus @ Jul 31st 2008 11:23AM]

"It's a good idea to remember that batteries don't improve very much,
nor very often."

A quick search for battery replacements for my Wallstreet G3 laptop
(circa 1998) and ipod 3rd generation (circa 2005) shows that
replacement batteries are available with 28% and 35% more power than
the original batteries. I'd say those numbers constitute "much" and
"often".

http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Powerbook-G3-Battery-Wallstreet-LI-ION---NEW-p-16406.html
http://www.ipodbatterydepot.com/shopping/productdetails.asp?category1=&recordid=3

"Right now there are no batteries that are particularly suitable for
use in an electric automobile"

Judging by the loads of positive reviews RAV4EV owners have given
their electric vehicles (not to mention the outlandish ebay resale
prices), the battery technology of 10 years ago was "suitable".

So...... to 2n2222: you are just flat wrong. If oil prices stay
high and battery prices come down, you are going to see electric
vehicle sales go through the roof.

[Michael Jackson @ Aug 3rd 2008 3:53PM]

Although 2n2222 comment may be picked at he still has a point--especially if you factor in cost. Ever battery pack you read about in the press or technical literature is still under developement. You can not order a ready to use lithium ion battery for your electric car--if you had an electric car that is, unless you have $100,000 bucks for the Tesla and noones really sure yet what the life time and long term costs are there yet either. As for the electric RAV4, Toyota only sold 300 of them, so this is not exactly a success story despite what owners say.

[Carcus @ Aug 6th 2008 2:20AM]

Useful links for EV battery discussions:

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?page=article&storyid=1478

http://www.ev1.pair.com/charge_across_america/charge_html/nimh_test2.html

Link #1 is an article about the RAV4EV (1500 produced). Study the reader comments for a lively and informative discussion about battery cost and technology.

Link #2 is a review of the NIMH equipped EV1.

[Carcus @ Aug 6th 2008 2:47AM]

and here's a piece of video history from 1990.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7694402778593676025

Imagine what we could be driving today (18 years later!) if GM had only kept the research and development going.