New Lithium Ion Batteries Charge 70 Percent in 2 Minutes

October 16th, 2014

Via: cNet:

The freedom to hold computers in our hands, pop wireless headphones in our ears and pilot drones through our backyards is all brought to us by batteries — especially rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The portable powerhouses are a critical component of our march toward tech mobility, yet most require hours of being plugged in to wall outlets to achieve a full charge.

A brand-new kind of battery to come out of the labs of scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is set to change that. They’ve created a lithium ion battery that can get up to a 70 percent charge in just 2 minutes and can allegedly last up to 20 years.

The difference between their battery and the standard lithium ion type has to do with the substance used for the anode — the negative terminal.

Current lithium ion batteries have graphite anodes. Instead of graphite, the team at NTU used a titanium dioxide gel they developed that dramatically speeds up the chemical reaction that takes place in the battery, meaning it can charge much faster.

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