By Victoria Woollaston For Mailonline

Experts build superfast and flexible power pack out of aluminium

The flexible aluminium battery was created at Stanford University

It consists of a negatively charged aluminium anode and a positively charged graphite cathode along with an ionic liquid electrolyte

It sits in a flexible polymer-coated ‘pouch’ and recharges in one minute

But it currently offers just half the voltage of existing lithium-ion batteries

The frustration of waiting hours for your phone to charge could soon be a thing of the past thanks to an aluminium battery that recharges in less than 60 seconds.

And the technology is both greener and safer than current batteries, as well as being flexible.

It is the first high-performance aluminium battery that is ‘fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive’, according to its designers.

The aluminium battery was created at Stanford University, California, and the findings have been published in the journal Nature.

Lead author and professor of chemistry at the university, Hongjie Dai, said: ‘We have developed a rechargeable aluminium battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames.

‘Our new battery won’t catch fire, even if you drill through it.’

Aluminium is cheap and has a low flammability coupled with a high-charge storage capacity.

THE BENEFITS OF ALUMINIUM BATTERIES

The aluminium battery was created at Stanford University.

It consists of a negatively charged anode made of aluminum and a positively charged graphite cathode along with an ionic liquid electrolyte.

These sit inside a flexible polymer-coated pouch.

And while lithium-ion batteries can take hours to charge, the new battery has ‘unprecedented charging times’ of down to one minute.

Unlike other prototypes which die after just 100 charges, the Stanford battery can also withstand more than 7,500 cycles without any loss of capacity.

It is more environmentally friendly than alkaline batteries, and can’t catch fire like lithium-ion technology.

At present the rechargeable aluminium battery generates about two volts of electricity, the highest achieved yet with aluminium.’

But the researchers said the battery has only half the voltage of lithium-ion technology.

But scientists have struggled to make a commercially viable aluminium-ion battery because of the difficulty in finding materials capable of producing sufficient voltage after repeated cycles of charging and discharging.

The aluminum-ion battery consists of two electrodes – a negatively charged anode made of aluminum and a positively charged graphite cathode along with an ionic liquid electrolyte.

These sit inside a flexible polymer-coated pouch.

Stanford graduate student Ming Gong added: ‘The electrolyte is basically a salt that’s liquid at room temperature, so it’s very safe.

‘Lithium-ion batteries can be a fire hazard.

‘In our study, we have videos showing that you can drill through the aluminium battery pouch, and it will continue working for a while longer without catching fire.

‘But lithium batteries can go off in an unpredictable manner in the air, the car or in your pocket. Besides safety, we have achieved major breakthroughs in aluminium battery performance.’

And while lithium-ion battery can take hours to charge, the new battery has ‘unprecedented charging times’ of down to one minute.

Unlike other prototypes which die after just 100 charges, the Stanford battery can also withstand more than 7,500 cycles without any loss of capacity.

By comparison, a typical lithium-ion battery lasts about 1,000 cycles.

Mr Gong continued: ‘Another feature of the aluminum battery is flexibility.

The battery consists of a negatively charged anode made of aluminum and a positively charged graphite cathode along with an ionic liquid electrolyte. These sit inside a flexible polymer-coated pouch. It can also withstand more than 7,500 cycles without any loss of capacity

The battery consists of a negatively charged anode made of aluminum and a positively charged graphite cathode along with an ionic liquid electrolyte. These sit inside a flexible polymer-coated pouch. It can also withstand more than 7,500 cycles without any loss of capacity

‘You can bend it and fold it, so it has the potential for use in flexible electronic devices. Aluminium is also a cheaper metal than lithium.’

At present the rechargeable aluminium battery generates about two volts of electricity, the highest achieved yet with aluminium.’

But the researchers explained the battery has a limited voltage, compared to existing technology.

‘Our battery produces about half the voltage of a typical lithium battery,’ Professor Dai said:

‘But improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density.

‘Otherwise, our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It’s quite exciting.’

IMAGES:

The aluminium battery (pictured) was created at Stanford University. It is said to be the first high-performance aluminium battery that is ‘fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive’

At present the rechargeable aluminium battery generates about two volts of electricity, the highest achieved yet with aluminium.’But the researchers said the battery has only half the voltage of lithium-ion (stock image)

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3027399/The-battery-recharges-MINUTE-Experts-build-cheap-flexible-power-pack-aluminium.html#ixzz3WizKksET