Gel electrolyte promises better battery
Professor Ian Ward, the research physicist who developed the technology, said it could replace liquid electrolytes currently used in rechargeable lithium cells. In addition the gel can be made into a thin, flexible film by way of an automated low-cost process.
The polymer gel developed by Professor Ward and his team gets rid of the traditional need for a separator in a rechargeable lithium battery, making for a lighter pack. In addition they have developed a patented manufacturing process that extrudes the gel between an anode and cathode at a speed of up to 10 meters per minute to create a battery that is nanometers thick.
The resultant battery film can be cut to any size and the lamination process seals the electrodes."The polymer gel looks like a solid film, but it actually contains about 70 percent liquid electrolyte," said Professor Ward, in a statement. "It’s made using the same principles as making a jelly: you add lots of hot water to gelatine – in this case there is a polymer and electrolyte mix – and as it cools it sets to form a solid but flexible mass."The flexible film cells can be shaped and bent to fit the geometries of virtually any device.
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