Credit: DAN DELONG FOR MICROSOFT
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Scientists say new material could potentially reduce lithium use by 70%
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American scientists have developed a new principle for creating batteries, thanks to which the use of lithium in batteries can be reduced by 70%. This was possible thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputers.
Researchers from Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which is part of the US Department of Energy, worked on the discovery.
Microsoft researchers used artificial intelligence and supercomputers to study 32 million inorganic materials that could potentially be used to create batteries. Of these, 18 promising candidates were identified in less than a week.
As a result, as reports Geek Wire website, experts have received a prototype of a new battery that uses a hitherto unknown combination of lithium and soda. The battery they created belongs to solid electrolytes.
After its discovery, the new material was already used to power an electric light bulb.
A new type of artificial intelligence created by Microsoft is trained on molecular data and is able to understand chemical processes.
Using traditional laboratory research methods, this could take more than two decades, say the authors of the development.
It took just under nine months to create a working prototype of the battery.
Microsoft vice-president Jason Zander told the BBC that one of the tech giant’s goals is to “pack 250 years of scientific discovery into the next 25.”
“We believe that such technology will help us with this. I think this is how scientific research will be conducted in the future,” Zander said.
What’s wrong with lithium?
Lithium is often called “white gold” due to its high value and silvery color.
It is one of the key components of rechargeable batteries (lithium-ion batteries) that power electric vehicles, smartphones and many other electronic devices.
The demand for this metal is constantly growing – along with the demand for electric vehicles. Therefore, according to the International Energy Agency, there may be a lithium shortage in the world as early as 2025.
According to the US Department of Energy, by 2030 the demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase 10 times, so manufacturers are constantly building battery factories.
However, lithium mining methods are often controversial because the development of lithium deposits takes several years and has a significant impact on the environment.
image copyrightHe Hongfu/VCG
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According to the US Department of Energy, demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase 10-fold by 2030.
Mining the metal requires large amounts of water and energy, and the process can leave highly visible marks on the natural landscape and produce toxic waste.
“AI and supercomputing will become critical tools for battery developers in the coming years. They will help predict which materials are capable of demonstrating high efficiency,” says Nuria Tapia-Ruiz from Imperial College London.
However, Edward Brightman, a lecturer in chemical engineering at the UK’s University of Strathclyde, warned that the technology should be approached “with some caution”.
“It can give false results or results that look good at first and then turn out to be either a material that is already known or a material that cannot be synthesized in the laboratory,” Brightman said.
