Electric car fires remain rare but spectacular and difficult to control. A team of Korean researchers has developed a battery capable of turning itself off if it overheats. This innovation could transform the automotive sector and much more.
THE fires linked to electric car batteries often make the news when they take place. In France, a Renault Zoé while recharging caught fire in May 2024. It destroyed its owner’s house after 20 hours of firefighter intervention. A few years earlier, the fire on the freighter Felicity Ace, carrying 4,000 high-end cars including Porsches and Lamborghinis, showed how battery fires are difficult to master. These incidents, although rare, highlight the need to improve the security of these components to prevent ces dramatic situations.
Of the solutions begin to emerge for overcome this problem. In 2024, LG Chem presented a revolutionary material capable of blocking electrical flows at the first signs of overheating. This “thermal runaway suppression material”, as thin as a hair, acts like a smart fuse and stops the spread of heat. But a team of Korean researchers of the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) goes even further with a innovative lithium metal battery. The latter can go out alone in the event of overheating, thus avoiding any risk of fire.
Triple-layer solid polymer electrolyte battery shuts down on its own when overheated
DGIST researchers have developed a battery using a solid polymer electrolyte triple layer. Each has a specific function. The layer outerflexible, assure un contact optimal with the electrodes. The layer intermediatemore rigid, strengthens the structure et prevents the formation of dendritesthese growths of lithium which cause short circuits. A fire fighting agentdecabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), integrated into the batteryhis allows you to turn off alone in case of overheating.
In addition to its increased safety, this battery has an impressive longevity. She retains 87.9% of its performance After 1 000 cycles dump. This could represent hundreds of thousands of kilometers for an electric vehicle, while reducing the risk of fire. This innovation is therefore part of a series of advances for improve the security of this componentwhether for cars, smartphones or energy storage systems. With solutions like LG Chem and this new Korean battery, their future seems more secure and sustainable than ever.
Source : Small
