back to article Lithium cells take salt to extend life

Li-ion battery technology looks set to be given a new lease of life with the emergence of an improved electrolyte process that promises increased heat tolerance and a significantly longer lifespan. Li-Imide Today's Li-ion batteries have limited lifespans thanks to the build up of crystal deposits within the electrolyte that …

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  1. spencer

    Place your bets....

    ....as to how long this cell tech will take to get to the UK.

    Even if we invent it the UK gets it last.

    1. Owen Carter
      Facepalm

      Probably very slowly..

      Better battery tech, eg lightweight batteries that take more charge cycles and longer to loose capacity, is a key component in a low-fossil fuel future; so expect this to be massively disrupted and delayed by every means possible.

  2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

    They missed out the 1 year self destruct timer

    Half the point of a laptop is to make customers buy a replacement battery with a 500% profit margin.

  3. Alan Brown Silver badge
    Coat

    hmmmm

    Is this the result of 300 years of R&D since Mr Leyden invented his Jar?

    Mine's the one with van der graff generator in the pocket

  4. Sly

    and when are they going to have AA/AAA

    sizes to power other consumer kit?

    1. Nexox Enigma

      Never

      """and when are they going to have AA/AAA sizes to power other consumer kit?"""

      Short answer: Never.

      Long answer: Cell voltage depends on the chemicals inside the battery. Your standard Alkaline battery runs at 1.5V, and a rechargeable NiCd or NiMH will do 1.2V - close enough. Unfortunately most lithium-ion batteries produce around 4V per cell, and I imagine that lots of consumer electronics which expect 3V would not get along well on 8V. Not for long, in any case.

  5. J 3
    Paris Hilton

    Patented salt?

    I didn't know you could patent such things. I assumed it was like natural genes: you can patent its use in a certain process, but not the sequence itself. Do chemical compounds have the same rule? (i.e. naturally occurring, no patent; artificial creation, patent fine)

    1. Chemist

      Re : Patented salt?

      One patents a use : the actual chemical compound is an example that is suitable for the use.

      Well-known salts like sodium chloride can be included in a patent if a new use is found.

  6. flibbertigibbet
    Thumb Down

    LiFePO4?

    All well and good, but LiFePO4 last a minimum of 2000 cycles, and a decade, and are shipping now.

    To justify their enormous cost batteries have to last decades. The means somewhere around to 10,000 cycle mark. 1,000 just doesn't cut it.

  7. illiad

    so WHERE is LiFePO4??

    if its so good, where can you buy them in mobile form factor???

    1. spencer

      Please see the top post

      The UK is a backwards country and as such you'll have to import them.

  8. logical
    Thumb Up

    @illiad

    The OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) laptop battery is one of these.

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