Japanese experts develop small, powerful rechargeable battery

According to The Asahi Shimbun, scientists are developing a rechargeable battery that could have an electricity storage capacity that exceeds lithium ion batteries, which could lead to a smaller, high-output power source for electric vehicles and home electronics.
A research team from Kyoto University and other institutes said on 28 March that its battery will contain electrodes made from a compound of fluorine and a metal.
Additional research will be conducted to heighten the durability of the battery so it can be repeatedly recharged. The goal is to commercialize such a battery in small sizes with the ability to store large volumes of electricity.
According to members of the research team, the battery will generate electricity by having fluorine ions flow from a positive electrode to a negative one. That would be a reverse flow from what happens within lithium ion batteries where ions flow from the negative electrode to the positive one.
A major characteristic of the new battery is the use of a compound made up of a metal and fluorine, which was believed unsuitable for use as a material for electrodes.
At an experimental level, the new battery recorded an energy density of 398 watt-hours per kilogram of the battery. Energy density is a measure of battery function. Lithium ion batteries are believed to have a maximum energy density of about 300 watt-hours.
The fluorine ion battery research is part of a national project begun in fiscal 2009 by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.
"We hope the new battery can contribute to resolving energy and environmental issues related to energy sources for electric cars," said Zempachi Ogumi, a professor emeritus of engineering at Kyoto University, who heads the research team.

Ref: http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604150018.html
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