Back of Samsung S6 Edge phone. Image via Connor McKenna
A new method of production for the lithium-ion battery developed by Samsung will apparently offer enough energy capacity to double the life of the smartphones that exist in today’s market.
According to the Samsung team’s research paper published online, the key to its success lies in its method of creating a silicon anode that is then improved upon by layering its surface with wonder material graphene.
By doing so, the battery’s ability to store more energy increased by between 1.5 and 1.8 times compared with a normal lithium-ion battery.
In terms of the scientific figures that are generated by this new battery concept, the Samsung research team said of its capacity: “When paired with a commercial lithium cobalt oxide cathode, the silicon carbide-free graphene coating allows the full cell to reach volumetric energy densities of 972 and 700 Wh l−1 at first and 200th cycle”.
Perhaps most importantly from Samsung’s perspective, the team said that as it develops further, it will become a commercially-viable battery, giving it a considerable advantage over its largest competitors.
However, the team warned that these are the early stages of its development and that there are major drawbacks already found that need to be worked on.
From its findings, its charge and discharge cycles are somewhat unstable, leading to a battery that deteriorates much faster than would be hoped.
