With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles worldwide, there is a growing need for advanced secondary batteries that offer higher capacity and faster charging capabilities than the lithium-ion batteries currently being used. Lithium metal batteries are considered a viable option for rechargeable batteries due to the ten times higher theoretical capacity of a lithium metal anode compared to a commercial graphite anode. However, the growth of lithium dendrites during charging and discharging cycles can negatively impact battery performance and cause short-circuits.
The development of this new technology that uses carbon fiber paper as the anode material for lithium metal batteries represents a significant breakthrough in the field of battery research. The use of lithium metal as an anode material has long been recognized as a promising option for next-generation batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the growth of lithium dendrites on the anode during charging and discharging cycles has hindered its practical use due to safety concerns.
The hierarchical structure of the carbon fiber paper developed by the research team was found to be effective in preventing the growth of lithium dendrites on the anode. The amorphous carbon and inorganic nanoparticles present in the carbon fiber paper enhance the lithium affinity, resulting in a stable battery performance over a prolonged period. The excellent cycling stability of the carbon fiber paper anode, which lasted for 300 cycles, far outperformed the copper thin film anode, which typically short-circuits after approximately 100 cycles.
Furthermore, the use of carbon fiber paper as an anode material provided a significant improvement in the energy density of the lithium metal battery. The developed carbon fiber paper anode exhibited a high energy density of 428 Wh/kg, which is approximately 1.8 times higher than that of the copper thin film anode, which had an energy density of 240 Wh/kg. This enhancement in energy density is crucial for the advancement of electric vehicles and other applications that require high-performance batteries.
Additionally, the new manufacturing process proposed by the researchers has the potential to simplify the electrode manufacturing process, which is currently a complicated and time-consuming procedure. The infusion of molten lithium into the carbon fiber paper can be achieved quickly, making the process more efficient and cost-effective.
The research led by Dr. Sung-Ho Lee, Head of the Carbon Composite Materials Research Center at KIST, is significant for several reasons. The proposed anode material using carbon fiber paper has a density that is five times lower than that of copper and is also more cost-effective. This development represents an important achievement that can help speed up the commercialization of lightweight and durable lithium metal batteries. By replacing copper with carbon fiber paper, this research can pave the way for the development of next-generation batteries with higher energy density and longer cycle life, which is crucial for the advancement of electric vehicles and the renewable energy industry.
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