The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has developed new battery material, made from a “graphene ball,” which could potentially deliver charging speeds five times faster than today’s lithium ion batteries. Samsung announced the new material in a press release this past Wednesday, November 28.
But just how fast is this new material? Well, in theory, this graphene ball material only needs about 12 minutes to achieve a hundred percent charge. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this breakthrough material comes from graphene. The 2D-material has long been regarded as a wonder material because of its combination of unique properties. Graphene, among other things, is strong, durable, and highly conductive.
SAIT researchers, led by Son In-hyuk, developed a mechanism that allows for graphene to be mass synthesized into a 3D popcorn-like form using silica (SiO2). The graphene ball, in this technique, is applied to both the anode protective layers and the cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries.