Silicon on the move to out-do graphite anode batteries

Monday, December 1, 2008, 4:49
Technology
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It is really a strange, yet amazing news – the leaders in Optical Fiber Technology is now ready to launch its Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries. A great challenge to outdo the so called age-old graphite anode batteries. The graphite anode technology has been in use for quite a long time inspite of some of its drawbacks.

Lithium Ion batteries are in high demand nowadays as a lot of electronic gadgets are being designed with it including mobile phones, PDAs, electronic cars or hybrids that includes fuel engine and electric engines. As compared to graphite anode that has less capacity than the Lithium Ion batteries are a real drawback. On the other hand, the Lithium-Ion batteries are of much higher capacity and can hold the captured material for a longer time as compared to graphite anode.

This is the reason why many of our mobile phones indicate low battery very soon. Even if there are batteries that can hold charge for a longer time, but are not generally used by many of the developers due to other performance problems than the Lithium-Ion batteries. Silicon anodes were considered one among those unreliable rechargeable batteries until recently a study was being held by a group of science enthusiasts from Hanyang University in South Korea.

The only drawback with the silicon technology was that it couldn’t be recharged for too many times, the number of recharges is limited for silicon batteries. But after the study generated by the group of enthusiasts from Hanyang University, this drawback has been fixed. The technology used by them was etching of silicon dioxide nanoparticles in 900°C argon atmosphere. This particular treatment was not only useful for the lifetime of the silicon’s but also improved its charging speed.

The Silicon-Ion batteries that are manufactured now are having just appropriate durability and also they get charged faster than the graphite anode batteries. This is indeed a great achievement in part of the Hanyang University enthusiasts. This invention is really to help a lot to all the manufacturers of electronic gadgets that are designed with rechargeable batteries. The most fascinating above all is that the Silicon Lithium-Ion batteries are on the move to improve the hybrids and electric cars greatly.