Imagine a battery for your phone that will charge to 70% full in two minutes, and last for 20 years

Imagine having a battery inside your phone that can quickly recharge to 70% full in two minutes. Now, imagine that this cell will last 20 years before requiring a replacement. These are some of the specs of the lithium ion batteries being developed at Nanyang Technology University. This is accomplished by speeding up the chemical reactions inside the cell.

Instead of using a graphite anode, this battery uses a titanium dioxide nanotubes anode. This allows the battery to offer 10,000 charging cycles as opposed to the usual 500. And these smaller titanium tubes are cheap and easy to make. The material is found naturally in soil and is commonly used as a food additive or to absorb UV rays in sunscreens. Converting the titanium dioxide from its spherical shape into the thin nanotubes (a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair) is what allows the chemical reactions to run faster.

The new cells could be ready to hit commercial markets by 2016. According to one estimate, the market for lithium ion batteries will be $23.4 billion in two years. These longer-lasting batteries should find a home in smartphones and could make it easier for you to hold on to that handset that you've had for a couple of years, that you don't want to send back to the manufacturer for a new battery.

The technology has already been licensed, and will eventually go into production.


source: NTU.edu via Engadget