A research team from RMIT University (Australia) has found a way to extend the life of mobile phone batteries up to 9 years, through the use of high-frequency sound waves to remove rust – weak factors that reduce battery performance.
The team says they found that sound waves at a certain frequency can remove rust from a nanomaterial called MXene, restoring it to close to its original state. This means that a solution can be found to help the battery last longer.
In Australia, only 10% of portable batteries are used, including batteries for mobile phone, are collected for recycling. The team says the main reason for this is the high cost to recycle lithium and other materials from batteries.
[Bí quyết kéo dài tuổi thọ pin Lithium-ion: Nên sạc phục hồi ở mức 80%]
According to the researchers, MXene is similar to graphene – a form of carbon consisting of a single layer (monolayer). carbon atom are arranged, closely linked together in a two-way honeycomb network, with high conductivity and flexibility. It could be used in a wide range of future technological applications if the rust problem can be easily solved.
Research co-leader Hossein Alijani, a doctoral student at RMIT University, said surface oxides, i.e. rust, are difficult to remove, especially on materials much thinner than hair. People. Current methods used to reduce oxidation rely on a chemical coating of the material, which limits the use of MXene in its natural form.
Research shows that exposing oxidized MXene membranes to high-frequency vibrations for just 1 minute will remove rust stains on the membranes. This simple procedure allows the electrochemical and electrical performance of the membrane to be restored.
The researchers believe this method has the potential to last battery life up to 3 times, up to 9 years. It also opens the door for nanomaterials to be used in more applications in energy storage, sensing, wireless transmission and environmental remediation.
While the new finding is promising, the team will need to work with the industry to integrate the acoustics into existing systems and manufacturing processes in the next step.
Thanh Tu (VNA/Vietnam+)