Samsung battery material offers 5x faster charging

A “popcorn” like material in a Samsung battery provides a 45% increase in capacity and five times faster charging than a standard lithium-ion battery.

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) researchers developed a “graphene ball” which provides promise for the next generation secondary battery market, particularly around mobile devices and electric vehicles.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms from graphite and is 100 times more effective than copper in conducting electricity, displaying remarkable electron mobility – 140 times faster than silicon – which makes it an ideal material for fast charge.

In theory, a battery based on the “graphene ball” material requires only 12 minutes to fully charge. Additionally, the battery can maintain a highly stable 60-degree Celsius temperature, with stable battery temperatures particularly key for EVs.

SAIT discovered a mechanism to mass synthesise graphene into a 3D form like popcorn using affordable silica (SiO2). This “graphene ball” was utilised for both the anode protective layer and cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries, ensuring charging capacity increase and charging time decrease as well as stable temperatures.

“Our research enables mass synthesis of multifunctional composite material graphene at an affordable price,” project leader Dr Son In-hyuk says. “At the same time, we were able to considerably enhance the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries in an environment where the markets for mobile devices and electric vehicles are growing rapidly. Our commitment is to continuously explore and develop secondary battery technology in light of these trends.”

SAIT’s research results feature in the latest science journal Nature Communications article “Graphene balls for lithium rechargeable batteries with fast charging and high volumetric energy densities.”

The institute has also filed two applications for the “graphene ball” technology patent in the US and Korea.