Although battery technology has been progressively evolving in recent years, it is having trouble keeping up with the demand for devices (laptops, smartphones, etc.). Much has been said about graphene , that “miracle” component that can be the cure for all ills in the hardware industry, and of course this includes batteries. So what happens to graphene batteries ? Are they a myth or are they already being implemented? In this article we are going to explain how they work and why they have not yet reached the market in a massive way.
Space limitations and complications with charge and discharge tolerances mean that the devices that we currently supply with lithium-ion batteries have serious deficiencies, especially in terms of limiting their autonomy and the useful life they have in terms of cycles. load.
However, in recent years, technology has taken a giant step since they have started experimenting with graphene , a material that can make our equipment’s batteries solve all these problems, providing a much longer useful life, with cycles shorter charging times and also better autonomy.
So, if everything is advantages, why haven’t they reached the market yet? Before answering this question, it is essential to first explain the bases.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a carbon layer that is only one atom thick . Although it is made of the same material as the graphite of the pencils, because its thickness is so small it is considered to be a two-dimensional material (two dimensions in space), which is why its properties change and become what it is consider it as a superconductor of electricity .
This is especially valuable given the fact that most of the materials we use to conduct electricity have a certain amount of resistance , forcing us to use larger volumes (for example, making thicker copper wires to be able to conduct higher amperage. electricity) in addition to forcing us to use alternative methods to alleviate symptoms (in other words, with resistance, heat is produced and that is why we need heatsinks, to maintain a good temperature).
Internal electrical resistance is the reason why all batteries have a so-called ” drain limit ” that they cannot exceed in any way. Some more advanced units can drain up to 20 amps, but at a certain limit they are subjected to too much stress, multiplying the likelihood of problems.
Graphene dramatically increases this limit due to its almost total lack of internal resistance , which is why it also practically does not heat up and it is not necessary to use any type of heatsink. For this reason, it is not difficult to imagine several layers of graphene in a battery, which would mean a very high drainage limit, with a high electric charge (since it is super conductive) and without generating heat or dangers, right?
Put another way, all of this means that in theory we could create a graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery to be able to comfortably charge and discharge large amperes – and to do so without seriously affecting its longevity or posing danger. In fact, if the current claims are correct, graphene can even dramatically increase the number of charge cycles a battery would support.
Graphene also has limitations
The main faculty of graphene is that it is a super conductor that almost does not heat up, that it is made of a very common element in the earth and that therefore does not require a large investment in raw materials. The bad part is that creating those layers of an atom thick is a problem for manufacturers, both to achieve it and the technology they need in their production.
Furthermore, an impediment is the fact that currently there are no means to use graphene batteries as such, but only in combination with the current “improved” lithium batteries.
With everything and with that, the main manufacturers believe that the time is not yet because lithium batteries for the moment continue to meet expectations, although they acknowledge that there will come a time when their technology reaches the limit and they do need to invest more. resources in developing this technology that includes graphene. In the meantime, they hope to find a simpler and cheaper way to manufacture them.
Can you get graphene batteries now?
At the beginning of 2020, there are already pioneering companies in the development of this type of batteries, among which are Elecjet with its Apollo Traveler and the G-Pro “Real Graphene” power banks that, in theory, use an ion battery lithium enhanced with graphene and that its version of only 2000 mAh costs $ 60.
However, beyond this there is still no commercial product, including smartphones or laptops, that has this type of batteries. Small steps are being taken towards this trend, but things are going very slowly and commercial use is not expected for a few years.