Zinc Battery Initiative (ZBI), the voice of the zinc battery industry, announces plans to welcome German battery developer HILABS. ZBI’s rapidly growing membership is comprised of leading zinc battery manufacturers, including HILABS, which has developed a scalable, safe, and affordable zinc-air battery designed as an alternative to lead-acid, and lithium-ion batteries in a variety of…
Better batteries for a better future
By Erin Matthews, The Canadian Light Source (CLS), University of Saskatchewan The international group of experts, led by researchers from Texas A&M University, have combined powerful imaging techniques and large data sets to better understand why lithium-ion batteries fail and how they can be improved. Their innovative approach has brought the team one step closer…
GIST Scientists develop a universal method for improving the lifespan of li-ion batteries
Charging and discharging a lithium-ion battery multiple times causes significant change to the volume of the anode, reducing the battery capacity and battery life. Now researchers from GIST in Korea have developed a method to strengthen the anode, making it more resilient against volume changes. The anode can be modified irrespective of its material…
New magnesium superionic conductor towards lithium-free solid-state batteries
As we move towards a more energy-efficient society, the need for high-capacity, cost-effective batteries is greater than ever. Magnesium is a promising material for such solid-state batteries owing to its abundance, but its practical application is limited by the poor conductivity of magnesium ions (Mg2+) in solids at room temperature. Recently, researchers from Japan have…
These energy-packed batteries work well in extreme cold and heat
by University of California San Diego Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed lithium-ion batteries that perform well at freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures, while packing a lot of energy. The researchers accomplished this feat by developing an electrolyte that is not only versatile and robust throughout a wide temperature range,…
Argonne webinar to explore the challenges of recycling lithium-ion batteries and solutions
Auto makers are racing to produce electric vehicles, but few firms know how to recycle old EV batteries. A scientist at Argonne National Laboratory is hosting a 15-minute webinar on June 29 at 1 p.m. CT that will describe the path businesses can take to recycle those batteries profitably. In 2020, over 1.7 million electric…
VARTA presents microbattery product portfolio at COMPUTEX 2022
VARTA will present its broad product portfolio of microbatteries, which make a wide range of future-proof applications possible, at COMPUTEX in Taipei, which takes place May 24-27. VARTA’s microbattery product portfolio ranges from rechargeable lithium-ion button cells to nickel metal hydride button cells, primary silver oxide cells, primary lithium button cells and cylindrical lithium batteries…
SOLiTHOR seeds $10.6M to develop a new solid-state battery cell technology
SOLiTHOR, the newly created spin-off company from imec – partner in the European energy R&D innovation hub Energyville – is spearheading the development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative solid-state lithium (Li) battery cell technology to reliably and economically offer high energy storage solutions. SOLiTHOR raised $10.6 million (€10 million) in a seed investment round led…
Growing zinc battery initiative welcomes startup Zēlos Energy
Silicon Valley startup Zēlos Energy announces plans to join the Zinc Battery Initiative (ZBI), the voice of the zinc battery industry. ZBI’s rapidly growing membership is comprised of leading zinc battery manufacturers, including Zēlos, which has developed a sustainable, safe zinc-manganese battery designed as an alternative to lead acid and lithium-ion batteries in a variety…
Alternatives to lithium-based batteries to play a key role for stationary storage, says IDTechEx
Announcements of developments to alternative, next-generation, non-lithium battery chemistries, including redox flow, metal-air, or sodium-ion batteries, are now a regular occurrence. Despite interest in these alternatives, Li-ion batteries remain the dominant choice for consumer devices, electric vehicles, and stationary storage. However, the importance of non-lithium battery chemistries is expected to grow considerably over the next…
Safer, more powerful batteries for electric cars, power grid
From Sandia National Laboratory Solid-state batteries, currently used in small electronic devices like smart watches, have the potential to be safer and more powerful than lithium-ion batteries for things such as electric cars and storing energy from solar panels for later use. However, several technical challenges remain before solid-state batteries can become widespread. A Sandia…
Carmakers reorganizing for EVs, in this week’s R&D power index
Hydrogen and coal are powering the future, in this week’s R&D power index
National Energy Storage Summit to jumpstart America’s energy storage future
On March 8 and 9, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is hosting the National Energy Storage Summit, a virtual public event that will connect thought leaders across industry, government, communities, and the research enterprise to catalyze partnerships and accelerate solutions around specific challenges to America’s energy storage future. Exponential energy storage deployment is both…
GIST scientists propose a non-invasive approach to estimating li-ion battery degradation
The emergence of electric vehicles has created a spike in the usage of lithium-ion batteries. Consequently, there is a need for diagnosing battery health reliably to prevent accidents from unexpected operational issues. To this end, scientists from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have now developed a rapid non-destructive analysis technique…
Intel wants to regain “chipzilla” status, in this week’s R&D Power Index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending February 4, 2022, closed at 5,420.09 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 2.64% (or 139.41 basis points) from the week ending January 28, 2022. The stock of 13 RDWI members gained value from 0.12% (Bristol-Myers Squibb) to 7.46% (Alphabet/Google). The stock…
Greater than expected growth in fourth quarter, in this week’s R&D power index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending January 28, 2022, closed at 5,280.68 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 1.39% (or 72.41 basis points) from the week ending January 21, 2022. The stock of 12 RDWI members gained value from 0.34% (AstraZeneca) to 4.88% (Apple Computer). The stock…
Rising inflation rates undermine economic growth, in this week’s R&D Power Index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending January 21, 2022, closed at 5,208.27 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -5.66% (or 312.43 basis points) from the week ending January 14, 2022. The stock of only one RDWI member gained value at 0.42% (AstraZeneca). The stock of 24 RDWI…
Rubber material holds key to long-lasting, safer EV batteries
by Georgia Institute of Technology For electric vehicles (EVs) to become mainstream, they need cost-effective, safer, longer-lasting batteries that won’t explode during use or harm the environment. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology may have found a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries made from a common material: rubber. Elastomers, or synthetic rubbers, are…
Sony and Foxconn developing EVs, in this week’s R&D Power Index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending January 7, 2022, closed at 5,472.25 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -2.79% (or -157.25 basis points) from the week ending December 31, 2021. The stock of 16 RDWI members gained value from 0.17% (Roche Holdings AG) to 17.67% (Ford Motor).…
EVs becoming more collaborative, in this week’s R&D power Index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending December 31, 2021, closed at 5,629.50 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -0.39% (or -22.32 basis points) from the week ending December 24, 2021. The stock of 21 RDWI members gained value from 0.11% (Alibaba) to 3.02% (General Motors). The stock…
Top-10 areas of amazing science at Brookhaven Lab in 2021
By Karen McNulty Walsh and Stephanie Kossman, Brookhaven National Laboratory Research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory spans scales from the cosmic to subatomic, advancing our understanding of the world around and within us. Looking for discoveries that spark transformational technologies? Brookhaven has those, too! Here’s the 2021 recap of important…
R&D 100 winner of the day: IS-P4 Separator-free Lithium-ion Battery
NAMI and ATL have developed a separator-free lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology with a breakthrough nanofiber conformal coating on the electrode. The separator affects cell performance and safety. Reports show that the separator layer accounts for 7-10% of the price of the cell and the global demand for separators is expected to be over $1.3 million…
Positive results for Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill, this week in the R&D Power Index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending December 17, 2021, closed at 5,518.10 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -2.09% (or -117.84 basis points) from the week ending December 10, 2021. The stock of 14 RDWI members gained value from 0.06% (Intel) to 12.69% (Pfizer). The stock of…
LiTAS lithium extraction pilot plant deployed to world’s largest lithium resource
EnergyX has successfully deployed the first of three LiTAS pilot plants, a containerized direct lithium extraction (DLE) unit, for operation at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the largest lithium resource in the world. EnergyX first licensed its core technology from the University of Texas in May 2019, and only two years later has amassed a team…