Ameya Paleja of Interesting Engineering reports on a way to utilize solar panel waste.
- Researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology in China have successfully recycled silicon from solar panel waste to create high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
- The innovative batteries using micrometer-sized silicon anodes achieved an impressive 99.94% coulombic efficiency after 200 charge-discharge cycles, demonstrating superior electrochemical stability.
- A specially formulated electrolyte solution helps maintain the battery’s performance even when silicon particles fracture during charge-discharge cycles, contributing to the battery’s durability and efficiency.
- This sustainable and low-cost approach could significantly reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries while improving their performance, with potential applications in electric vehicles and grid energy storage.
“The team used a 3M solution of LiPF6 electrolyte dissolved in a 1,3-dioxane and dimethoxyethane solution mixed with a volumetric ratio of 1:3. The unique chemical formulation helps form a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) that holds together silicon particles, even when they are fractured during charge-discharge cycles. This aids in maintaining the ionic conduction and keeping unnecessary reactions to a minimum.”
Read the full article here.
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