Researchers create fast-charging batteries that last for twenty years

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Cheryl Santa Maria

Digital Reporter

Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 6:22 PM - Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) say they've developed a battery that can charge to 70 percent in two minutes and last for twenty years -- ten times longer than the lithium-ion batteries currently used in a variety of products, including cell phones and electric vehicles.

The team hopes the batteries will be on the market in two years.

"With this new technology by NTU, drivers of electric vehicles could save tens of thousands on battery replacement costs and can recharge their cars in just a matter of minutes," the university says in a press release.

Standard lithium batteries last about 500 recharge cycles, which equates to about two to three years of normal use. Each charge takes about two hours to complete.

Researchers replaced the graphite used as the negative pole on lithium-ion batteries with a gel material developed from titanium dioxide -- an "abundant, cheap and safe material found in soil," according to NTU.

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This helped speed up the charging process and extend the battery's life so that it can withstand 10,000 recharge cycles.

“Electric cars will be able to increase their range dramatically, with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars,” said Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong, who led the research.

“Equally important, we can now drastically cut down the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last ten times longer than the current generation of lithium-ion batteries.”

The team says the batteries will be relatively cheap to and easy to manufacture. It took a team of four approximately three years to develop the technology.

Source: NTU