A new study shows that the addition of micro-diamonds to lithium batteries can prevent lithium batteries from exploding during aircraft haulage due to severe impact.

Everyone knows that the regulations for not being able to check the lithium battery by plane are caused by the explosion of the lithium battery in the course of consignment. The main culprit in the explosion of lithium batteries is the crystal branch in lithium batteries, a type of lithium-ion whisker-like deposit that pierces the boundary film between the positive and negative electrodes of the battery, causing the battery to be short-circuited, causing the electronic device to burst into pieces in an instant. .

A new study shows that adding micro-diamonds to lithium batteries can prevent this tragedy. After the battery is used for a period of time, the electrode begins to degrade, and the metal ions form a precipitate on the surface of the electrode. Researchers have discovered that nanodiamonds can prevent the formation of crystal branches. Nanodiamond is a 5 nm wide crystal that is often used in the electroplating industry to inhibit cell growth. When these crystals are deposited on the surface, they naturally slide together to form a smooth film, which in turn helps other materials to coat these surfaces in a more uniform manner, preventing the generation of crystal branches.

Experiments have shown that lithium ions can be easily combined with nanodiamonds and aligned neatly on the electrodes. The application of nanodiamonds is quite significant: the researchers found that during 100 discharges and 200 charges, nanodiamonds perfectly inhibited the growth of the crystal branches. Moreover, the cost of manufacturing nanodiamonds is not high, and scientists have created nanodiamonds by detonating flammable materials in a closed environment. The application of nanodiamond is also very simple, just put it into the original electrolyte of the lithium battery can play its role.

In addition, the researchers said that adding nano-diamonds can also increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Since in the present case, lithium in most lithium batteries is present in the electrolyte in the state of lithium ions, and the electrodes are composed of graphite containing lithium. If you replace lithium ions with pure lithium electrodes, the battery capacity will be increased ten times.

　　研究作者 Yury Gogotsi，德雷塞尔大学(Drexel University)材料科学家表示：“这项研究对提高电池安全性和进一步进行纯金属阳极研究有着重要的作用，而且这不仅局限于锂电池的研究，对锌、钠等其他的金属电极的研究也是很有帮助的”。研究者们的下一个目标是通过更多次的实验确定纳米金刚石的可靠性。