Lithium Battery That Refuses to Explode | NOVA
You have to watch it to believe it! The billion dollar question: who is going to acquire Mike’s startup, Ionic Materials? Samsung, Tesla, Google, Apple?
Watch Tufts University and engineer Mike Zimmerman’s battery endure abuse at the hands of David Pogue in this excerpt from NOVA’s “Search for the Super Battery,” airing February 1 at 9/8c on PBS.
Solid electrolytes are a holy grail of batteries, allowing for safer batteries that, in this case, can hold more charge for a given size compared with liquid electrolytes. Zimmerman’s solid plastic electrolyte prevents the formation of what are known as dendrites, or tendrils of lithium that spread from the electrode through the electrolyte and can cause dangerous short-circuits.
Watch the entire documentary on:
Learn More:
- Designing a Safer Battery for Smartphones (That Won’t Catch Fire), NYTimes
- Researchers Create New, High Capacity Battery Technology Without Lithium-Ion's Explosive Risks, Forbes
- New Damage-Proof Battery Has Higher Energy Density, Won’t Explode, PBS
- Michael Zimmerman - Tufts University School of Engineering