Researchers at the US Army Research Laboratory (Adelphi, MD) and the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) have developed a lithium-ion battery that uses salt water as its electrolyte and provides 4.0 V for electronic devices without the risk of catching fire. "In the past, if you wanted high energy, you would choose a non-aqueous lithium-ion battery, but you would have to compromise on safety. If you preferred safety, you could use an aqueous battery such as nickel/metal hydride, but you would have to settle for lower energy," said Dr. Kang Xu, ARL fellow who specializes in electrochemistry and materials science. "Now, we are showing that you can simultaneously have access to both high energy and high safety."
Salt water-based Li-ion battery offers both high energy, safety | Smart2.0
Researchers at Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) have found that adding nanodiamonds to the electrolyte solution in lithium batteries can prevent hazardous battery malfunctions. The liquid electrolytes in most batteries act as a conductive pathway for the movement of ions between the two electrodes of a battery during charge and discharge. However, over the course of battery charge/discharge cycles, dendrites - tendril-like deposits of ions - can build up that can ultimately short-circuit a battery, causing it to overheat or even catch fire.
Nanodiamonds promise safer, more energy dense lithium batteries | Smart2.0
While lithium ion batteries sold by Tesla and others are perhaps the most widely known storage technology, several other energy storage options are either already on the market, or are fast making their way there. All are hoping to claim a slice of what, by all indications, will be a very large pie. The Australian Energy Market Operator forecasts that more than 1.1m new battery storage systems will be installed in Australian households by 2035. And, according to a 2015 report by the Climate Council, battery storage capacity is expected to grow 50-fold in under a decade.