A team of researchers at Northwestern University has created a lithium-iron oxide battery that has the potential to power cars and phones more hours than previous batteries. Moreover, it is cheap and rechargeable.
Christopher Wolverton and his team of researchers at Northwestern University have worked in collaboration with a team of researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory. They have created a new battery that, at least in theory, should not work. The reason why it should not work is that it also uses iron, an element that was not be used in other batteries. It also uses oxygen in a way that scientists thought would make the battery unusable.
Researchers have created a new formula seems to overcome the theory. In other words, they found the optimal ratio of lithium, iron and oxygen that allows oxygen and iron to cause a chemical reaction that does not result in the release of oxygen – which would make the battery unstable.
With the new formula, the battery not only works, it is also rechargeable and cheaper than the traditional ones that use cobalt. This is mainly because iron is one of the cheapest items available and it has a much higher capacity than cobalt. If this innovation proves itself, it will have important consequences in many industries. It will also increase the autonomy of electric cars and the life of smartphones, allowing for the implementation of even more efficient processors.
