Most rechargeable batteries that power portable devices, such as toys, handheld vacuums and e-bikes, use lithium-ion technology. But these batteries can have short lifetimes and may catch fire when damaged. To address stability and safety issues, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have designed a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery that features an improved iron sulfide cathode. […]
Lithium News
Lithium world asks if surprise mine shutdown can arrest slump
An unexpected shutdown at one of China’s biggest lithium mines has left the industry scrambling to judge if the move will be enough to end the battery material’s prolonged price slump. The share prices of lithium miners from Australia to South America spiked Wednesday after reports that Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s biggest battery […]
Amazingly simple discovery extends Li-ion battery lifespan by 50% — meaning you don’t have to replace your gadgets as often
Replacing gadgets like smartphones or laptops just because the battery stops holding charge can be a real headache. But new research outlines a way to give common lithium-ion batteries a much longer lifespan — starting with their very first charge cycle. Charging Li-ion batteries — which power most personal electronics and electric vehicles (EVs) — […]
Chinese lithium producers embrace hedging to manage volatility
Chinese lithium processors are ratcheting up hedging to offset wild swings in the battery metal, a sign that local futures launched around a year ago are gaining traction. Several companies have unveiled their hedging exposure via lithium carbonate futures during the recent earnings season, including Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. and Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. […]
Bolivia shortlists four companies to develop lithium pilot plants
Bolivia state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Boliviano (YLB) has shortlisted four companies to advance into the next phase of a bid to develop pilot lithium extraction plants in the country’s salt flats. The companies selected are China’s CBC, Italy’s Protecno, France’s Eramet and Australia’s Eau Lithium, which YLB said were the bidders with the highest scores […]
The secret to next-gen batteries? It could be in the binder, says ORNL
A recent study focused on polymer binders could point to future breakthroughs in solid-state batteries, enabling safer, more powerful, and longer-lasting energy storage. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered that the molecular weight of these often-overlooked components plays a crucial role in the performance and durability of sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), a key […]
World’s biggest battery coming to Maine — and it could store 130 million times more energy than your laptop
An energy start-up plans to build the world’s biggest battery in Lincoln, Maine, to help ease stresses on the region’s power grid. The project is being funded by the Department of Energy, which is putting $147 million in grants toward constructing the ambitious energy storage solution. If the current plans remain unchanged, the battery will […]
What if Big Oil championed—and profited from—the green transition? Here’s how it could work
Like the petroleum industry itself, households are heavily invested in existing transport technologies. Getting oil and gas companies—and consumers—to switch to zero-emissions transport is a huge challenge. We can’t presume battery electric vehicles (EVs) will displace fossil fuel vehicles any time soon. They are not accessible to most households and don’t offer radically better transport services. They […]
Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance
A lithium-ion battery’s very first charge is more momentous than it sounds. It determines how well and how long the battery will work from then on—in particular, how many cycles of charging and discharging it can handle before deteriorating. In a study published today in Joule, researchers at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center report that giving […]
First-ever offshore Oregon wind energy projects set for auction
For the first time ever, two wind energy projects will be up for auction off the Oregon coast, the Department of Interior announced Thursday. The two projects, offshore Coos Bay and Brookings, will be auctioned Oct. 15, 2024, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, giving bidders the chance to build floating wind turbines. The […]
