Korean researchers develop’wearable all-solid-state battery’ that bends without explosion

Input 2021.01.13 09:24

Next-generation battery without risk of lithium-ion explosion… Increased use of wearable devices
Joint achievements such as KBSI and Chemical Research Institute, maintaining performance even when folded and unfolded 1000 times 1㎜ thick

Researchers in Korea have developed an all-solid-state battery that works stably even if it is bent or wrinkled. It is expected that an all-solid-state battery that will replace a lithium-ion battery that is at risk of explosion will be used as a power source for wearable devices in the future.

The Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) announced on the 13th that Dr. Hae Jin Kim’s research team has developed a safe and freely deformable all-solid battery with research teams from Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Inha University, and Chonnam National University.

Currently, lithium-ion batteries consist of a liquid material with an electrolyte, which is the passage between electrons and ions. Liquid electrolytes can cause battery explosion and fire. This is why there is a limit to using it as a wearable device that touches the body or as a battery for an electric vehicle.

It is an all-solid battery that turns the electrolyte into a solid. Research on improving capacity and durability is being conducted worldwide to replace lithium-ion batteries.

The research team made the all-solid battery into a shape with a thickness thinner than 1 mm and a wide area. Bending or crumpling this thin battery has little performance degradation. This is the result of applying the’cell assembly technology’ developed by the research team.

As a result of an experiment in which a 1000 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery was folded and unfolded 1000 times, it was found that the initial 90% capacity was maintained.

The research team is predicting that all-solid-state batteries will replace lithium-ion batteries within the next 10 years, and plan to commercialize wearable all-solid-state batteries accordingly.

Dr. Kim said, “We have secured the next-generation free-transformable all-solid-state battery manufacturing technology with guaranteed safety. It can be applied to medium and large batteries used in wearable electronic devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and electric vehicles. Will play a role.”

The research team added that the research has been conducted for five years since 2015, and in this process, 65 SCI-level papers and 46 domestic and foreign patent applications have been achieved.