Currently, lithium batteries are the most widely used technology in this field. First commercially available in 1991, they have since become standard equipment in electronic devices. However, many believe this technology has reached its limits and are looking for alternatives, leading to the emergence of graphene batteries. Graphene is known for its extremely high conductivity and durability, and scientists are exploring various applications of this material.
Recently, Samsung Electronics' research and development department successfully synthesized a type of "graphene sphere" that can be used to extend the battery life of lithium batteries and accelerate their charging speed. The graphene sphere material can increase battery capacity by 45% and accelerate charging speed by 5 times.
Samsung stated that if existing lithium batteries require one hour to fully charge, this new technology can reduce that time to 12 minutes. Furthermore, lithium batteries using graphene spheres can maintain a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, meeting the requirements for use in electric vehicles.
Data shows that graphene batteries are a type of new energy battery developed by utilizing the characteristic of lithium ions rapidly and in large quantities moving between the graphene surface and the electrodes. This new battery can reduce charging time from several hours to less than a minute.
Recognizing the promising applications of graphene, many countries have established graphene-related technology research and development centers to attempt its commercialization and potentially obtain patents for its applications in industry, technology, and electronics. The European Commission has designated graphene as a "flagship technology for future emerging technologies," formulating a dedicated research and development plan and allocating €1 billion over the next 10 years. The British government has also invested in establishing the National Graphene Institute (NGI), aiming to bring this material from the laboratory to production lines and markets in the coming decades.
my country also possesses unique advantages in graphene research. From a production perspective, graphite, the raw material for graphene production, is abundant and inexpensive in my country. However, mass production and large-scale manufacturing are the main obstacles to the large-scale commercialization of graphene. In 2013, the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced the successful fabrication of China's first 15-inch single-layer graphene sheet using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and successfully applied graphene transparent electrodes to resistive touchscreens, producing a 7-inch graphene touchscreen.
Many terminal manufacturers are also paying close attention to innovation in the battery field. Huawei, the world's third largest mobile phone manufacturer, started developing graphene batteries as early as 2015. Huawei once announced a collaboration with the University of Manchester to study the application of graphene, and the research results of this project can be directly applied to consumer electronics and mobile communication devices.
Currently, my country has successfully achieved mass production of graphene-modified high-energy-density lithium-ion supercapacitors. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, following the commissioning of the 500-ton-per-year graphene micro-sheet production line at Ningbo Moxi, the graphene-modified high-energy-density lithium-ion supercapacitor jointly developed by Ningbo CRRC New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently passed the new product appraisal organized by the Ningbo Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology.
Experts believe that the high-energy-density lithium-ion supercapacitor developed using graphene-modified cathode composite materials and graphene-modified composite conductive agents has overcome key technologies for ensuring the structural stability of lithium-ion capacitors and improving electrode density. The developed and produced products have a single-cell capacity of 17kF, an energy density of over 20Wh/kg, and a power density of nearly 8kW/kg, with the overall technology reaching the international leading level.
