Yeah, we know, you’ve heard it all before. It sometimes feels like some revolutionary new battery technology gets promoted every other month, and the one thing they have in common is that they never seem to materialize in real-life products. But new battery tech from a MIT spinoff may actually prove to be the exception, with the company aiming to enter production next year.
The difference with this tech? It’s essentially a very minor variant on existing lithium ion batteries, making it practical to manufacture them on existing production lines. Not only that, but the company has already successfully demonstrated that it works in a prototype iPhone 6 battery.
Because the batteries offer twice the energy density, you’d be able to double the battery-life of a product without increasing the size of the battery.
The battery essentially swaps out a common battery anode material, graphite, for very thin, high-energy lithium-metal foil, which can hold more ions — and, therefore, provide more energy capacity. Chemical modifications to the electrolyte also make the typically short-lived and volatile lithium metal batteries rechargeable and safer to use. Moreover, the batteries are made using existing lithium ion manufacturing equipment, which makes them scalable.
Of course, as Gizmodo notes, the more likely outcome is that companies like Apple will use the tech to instead provide the same amount of battery life as today in ever-slimmer devices …
Check out the full details over at MIT News.
Via Engadget
