Nichols Martin
IBM’s research arm is working to develop a new battery that will not require heavy metals for production and support energy infrastructure sustainability.
The company said Wednesday that the new battery has so far surpassed lithium-ion technology in terms of cost-friendliness, charging speed, power density, flame safety and energy efficiency.
The battery uses seawater-extracted materials that reduce the need for invasive sourcing work such as that required in mining.
IBM used a cathode material and a liquid electrolyte to reduce charging flammability via suppression of lithium metal dendrites.
The new materials will allow manufacturers to discard nickel, cobalt and other metals that may risk the environment.
The battery is expected to be cost-effective due to lack of need for resource-intensive metals and have a power density level that exceeds that of a lithium-ion battery.
