Would you give your car battery a salt bath? It might just boost its performance.
Researchers from CSIRO, RMIT and QUT have developed a salt bath that reportedly increases battery life and performance.
The research suggests that through pre-treating lithium metal electrodes in an electrolyte bath a protective film is formed over the battery that stablises its performance.
In addition, batteries that have undergone the process during research are able to sustain performance for up to a year and a half after being on the shelf.
CSIRO battery researcher Dr Adam Best believes that the findings are a major breakthrough for the electric car industry.
"Our research has shown by pre-treating lithium metal electrodes, we can create batteries with charge efficiency that greatly exceeds standard lithium batteries.
"The pre-treatment reduces the breakdown of electrolytes during operation, which is what determines the battery's increased performance and lifetime.”
QUT researcher and associate professor Anthony O'Mullane believes that manufacturers can easily take the method on board.
“The pre-treatment process is readily transferrable to existing manufacturing processes.”
The electrolyte salt solutions come in a range of chemical compositions patented by CSIRO.
The researchers are now on the hunt for partners to help further develop materials and devices to boost the technology in the market.