A new type of polymer jelly being studied and developed by researchers at the UK's University of Leeds would replace the volatile and hazardous liquid electrolyte currently used in most lithium batteries. Reporting from the BBC News - Science/Environment section says that the newly developed jelly batteries are designed to prevent "thermal runaway" -- the "worst-case" phenomenon whereby conventional lithium batteries using electrolytes based on organic liquids can escalate hundreds of degrees in temperature and catch fire. The Leeds researchers say that their discovery's success lies in blending a rubber-like polymer with a conductive, liquid electrolyte into a thin, flexible film of gel that sits between the battery electrodes. "The polymer gel looks like a solid film, but it actually contains about 70% liquid electrolyte," explained the study's lead author, Professor Ian Ward.
The Leeds scientists claim that that their proposed jelly batteries are as safe as polymer batteries, perform like liquid-filled batteries, but at 10 - 20% the price of either. Should they reach the market, the lithium jelly batteries could allow for lighter laptop computers, and more efficient electric cars.
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