Global Technology

As recently explained in Nature Energy, adding polymers and fireproofing to a lithium-ion battery’s current collectors makes it lighter, safer and about 20 percent more efficient.

Scientists at Stanford University and the U.S. Department of Energy have reengineered one of the sheets of copper or aluminum foil known as current collectors, so they weigh 80 percent less and immediately quench any fires that flare-up. This technology could address two major goals of battery research: extending the driving range of electric vehicles and reducing the danger that laptops, cell phones, a.....