Electric car batteries have hidden energy. Scientists have found a way to release it.

Details of the proposed approach are presented in: Advanced Materials ScienceAs the research team members confirm, the research has shown them how to increase the capacity of these batteries. In fact, it has allowed us to find a solution to the problem that causes these devices to lose up to 25 percent of their potential capacity.

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Lithium iron phosphate batteries have enormous potential. They are real alternatives to the more common lithium-ion variants. They have at least two advantages over them: they are safer and more durable. Most importantly, these devices could be used in electric vehicles and in renewable energy storage facilities.

Either way, we’re talking about very important issues: after all, electric cars are gaining popularity, while energy storage will be key to further moving away from fossil fuels. But for the batteries described to be treated as a real alternative to their more famous competitors, ways to increase their capacity are needed.

Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries can gain up to 25 percent of their capacity. This is due to the results of recent research conducted by scientists from Austria.

Scientists from Austria claim to have found it. During their research, they tracked the movement of lithium ions and how this phenomenon translates into loss of capacity. Transmission electron microscopes played a key role in the experiments. Using them, the research team analyzed the movement of lithium ions as they passed through the battery material. They also paid attention to how they were arranged in the crystal lattice structure of the iron phosphate cathode.

The range of research methods applied allowed the scientists to determine where the lithium is located in the crystal channels and how it gets there. Perhaps the most surprising result of these studies was the evidence that some lithium ions remained in the crystal lattice structure of the cathode. This occurred even when the battery was fully charged. This was thought to be the reason for the battery losing some of its capacity.

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Another problem is the uneven distribution of ions in the cathode. As it turns out, this phenomenon is caused by distortions and deformations within the cathode crystal lattice structure. Taking all these issues into account, scientists will now be able to design more efficient lithium iron phosphate batteries with up to 25% higher capacity than before. This is very good news, both for the automotive sector and for storing energy from renewable sources.