New Lithium-Ion Battery Recharges To 90% Capacity In 5
Minutes
Toshiba has developed a new lithium-ion battery called SCiB (or Super
Charge Ion Battery) which can charge to 90% capacity in 5 minutes. The life
cycle of the new battery is more than 10 years even if it is rapidly charged
and discharged many times. The battery is also mucher safer than other types
of lithium ion batteries, which are potential fire hazards.
Toshiba will begin commercial production of the battery in March 2008. The
company says the battery can be used in electric motorcycles and hybrid
cars. Toshiba currently makes 150,000 cells a month, mostly for electric
bicycles.
Toshiba says its batteries use a lithium-titanium oxide negative
electrode. That makes the batteries more stable than typical lithium ion
batteries, which use carbon-based negative electrodes.
The company also unveiled a bike manufactured by Cannondale Sports Group
that uses the quick-charging lithium ion battery. The SCiB battery uses
lithium titanate for enhanced safety and is made up of ten battery cells
connected in series. See more information about this bike at CleanTechnica.
The key feature of the battery is the use of lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) is
used as a negative electrode material with electrolyte with a high flash
point and a separator with a high heat resistance. Because of this feature,
a thermal runaway is less likely to occur in case of an internal
short-circuit, so the risks of burst and combustion are reduced, Toshiba
said.
For a positive-electrode material, lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) was adopted
as in the case of Li-ion secondary batteries for portable devices.
2007. Copyright Environmental News Network To
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