TEHRAN - An Iranian knowledge-based company has managed to indigenize one of the most vital components of lithium batteries, electrolyte, used in electric cars.
“We are active in the field of electrolyte production for lithium batteries in our company. These types of batteries have 4 main components, one of the most sensitive of which is electrolyte,” said Muhammad Pakniyyat, a researcher at a knowledge-based company.
Noting that electrolyte is very precise and advanced in terms of formulation, he explained that it should create an electronic conduction process, does not create high resistance, and its operation does not lead to heating of the battery.
“We have a contract with the Advanced Materials Headquarters of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy to launch electrolyte production on a semi-industrial scale by the end of this year to evaluate the production process, because the production process in electrolyte is highly important and sensitive,” Pakniyyat said.
In a relevant development in January, Iranian researchers at the University of Tehran had presented a new method for improving the performance of structural lithium-ion batteries.
The results of this study show that the use of materials like polyurethane binders and carbon fiber current collectors in LiFePO₄ electrodes of lithium-ion batteries can contribute to the energy storage capacity, cyclic stability, and overall efficiency of these batteries.
“In this study, PU and PVDF-HFP-g-PSSA binders were used as alternatives to traditional binders. Binders, as adhesives for electrode components, play an important role in mechanical strength and electrochemical efficiency. These binders provide smooth paths for lithium ion transport within the electrode by reducing the concentration polarization,” said Mojtaba Haqiqi Yazdi, the head of the research group.
“Also, with high flexibility and significant chemical and mechanical resistance, they can perform better than common binders against the degradation of the cathode structure and the separation of the electrode active materials from the surface of the current collectors due to the volume fluctuations of the electrodes, which mainly occur due to the repeated entry and exit of ions in the charge and discharge cycles,” he added.
Noting that in this study, the carbon fiber current collector has replaced traditional materials like aluminum and copper, Haqiqi Yazdi said, “This material plays an important role in reducing the weight of the battery and increasing its efficiency due to its lightness, corrosion resistance and high conductivity, and the possibility of storing energy due to the carbon structure. The simultaneous combination of these two innovations has significantly improved the electrochemical and mechanical performance of LiFePO₄ electrodes.”
“The experiments conducted in this study have shown that the use of PU and PVDF-HFP-g-PSSA binders and carbon fiber current collectors significantly improves the energy storage capacity and the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery. This new combination also increases the battery’s lifespan and improves its mechanical stability at the macro and micro scales,” he added.