How to Improve Battery Performance with Surface Science

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Did you know that two critical surface science parameters which apply to nearly every battery type often get overlooked?

Today, only a few highly specialized battery developers are fully optimizing these parameters. But with the increasing demand for batteries, a race for the best technologies have begun on an enormous industrial scale.
This means for any ambitious company in the battery sector: Acting now presents a unique opportunity to lead in a potential trillion-dollar market.

The parameters we are talking about are surface tension and wetting behavior.

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Side story: The 4 e-mobility hurdles

To make e-powered cars and the whole new e-powered world successful, we must focus on batteries. The mobility sector is struggling to increase the number of electric vehicles on the roads to combat air pollution and climate change. In our discussions with experts in the field, 4 obstacles were repeatedly mentioned that are slowing down the switch from fuel to electricity:

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1: The safety aspect

Defects in batteries can lead to fire or electric shock, which generates a high demand for solutions to increase battery safety, especially in cars.

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2: The range aspect

Compared to fuel-powered cars, electric vehicles do not achieve particularly high guaranteed ranges. More range means larger batteries, more weight, and higher costs, which leads to…

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3: The cost aspect

Electric cars are still far too expensive to be an attractive alternative for everyone. Electromobility is currently a luxury good.

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4: The charging aspect

Charging a car battery can be complicated: Is there a free charging station nearby? How quickly can I charge there? Potential customers are still very uncertain, especially when it comes to stopovers for recharging on long journeys. Another important factor is that the charging process takes significantly longer than refuelling.

When you look at these hurdles, one thing becomes very clear:

Each of them involves the battery.

The basic principle

Because of the increasing importance of this subject, our application experts have taken a closer look at the surfaces and interfaces in a battery. With all the differences in battery types, there is a very simple, basic principle that applies to nearly all parts inside a battery. These investigations and further scientific publications support the following assumption:

With all the differences in battery types, there is a very simple, basic principle that applies to nearly all parts inside a battery.

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The top 3 possible results when you optimize your batteries with the help of surface science

1) Increased battery safety
2) Enhanced capacity without increased weight
3) Improved production speed meaning significant cost reduction

The global battery industry is still far from fully exploiting the benefits of advanced surface science. Great potential lies in optimizing the surfaces and interfaces in a battery to ensure that they provide the best possible conditions for the desired chemical processes – thereby raising the quality and performance of your product to a new level.

Let us help you pave the way to a greener future!

Free application guideline: 5 Ways to Improve Battery Performance with Surface Science

Download now and learn about the implications of different interfacial behavior between electrolyte solution, separator, electrodes and current collectors, and more.

Discover how to apply the wettability principle to every interface mentioned above and get a valuable list of scientific methods for each aspect (from contact angle over tensiometry to Washburn measurements) to deeply understand and control these parameters.