Is Silver The Answer For Solid-State Cells?
The best lithium-ion cell for sale nowadays has around 670 Wh/l of energy density. You are probably aware of the many advantages a solid-state battery may offer to EVs, but what if it also had high energy density? Would 900 Wh/l be enough? This is what Samsung researchers managed to get with their most recent study. You could call their breakthrough a silver bullet, in some sense. Mostly because it is not a bullet, but a film. The researchers from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and the Samsung R&D Institute Japan (SRJ) have used a very thin silver-carbon film (Ag-C) in a prototype pouch cell.
The Ag-C film is extremely thin: only 5 µm. It may sound almost irrelevant, but the truth is that it was crucial to make the anode thinner and to increase energy density. Anyway, the silver-carbon film has the purpose of preventing dendrite formation. Dendrites are needle-like crystals that form on anodes and damage the battery. Another significant advantage the Ag-C film offered relates to the size of the cell, which is around 50 percent smaller in terms of volume than an equivalent lithium-ion battery. Less volume means less weight.
We did not manage to check the original article, but the researchers claim that an EV with such batteries could have a range of 800 km (497 mi). It is not clear if it could reach that with a battery pack equivalent in size to that used by a Tesla, for example, or with a smaller one. We’ll try to contact the researchers to understand what they meant in the press release.
With this sort of range, and a capacity to endure 1,000 cycles, this new solid-state cell could make a car last for 800,000 km (497,000 mi) as a standard.
https://insideevs.com/news/405131/silve ... s-samsung/
https://go.noblegoldinvestments.com/blo ... oment-htmlSilver is a major component in electronic circuitry. Its properties as a metal make it unique and sought-after as a conductor - with the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any metal element. It is known to be an extremely malleable metal which makes it easy to bend and shape. Silver is one of the most reflective metals, along with aluminum and gold. Such is its versatility, there are more patents issued for ideas which utilize a silver than there are for all other metals combined.
One of those patents is for silver paint, which is used on circuit boards, and is able to be reduced to nanoparticles which combine high reflectivity and conductivity when used in conjunction with laser applications and light sensitive fibre-optics.
Silver in Solar Photovoltaics
Conductive layers of silver paste within the cells of a solar photovoltaic (PV) cell help to conduct the electricity within the cell. When light strikes a PV, the conductors absorb the energy and electrons are set free.
Silver’s conductivity carries and stores the free electrons efficiently, maximizing the energy output of a solar cell. According to one study from the University of Kent, a typical solar panel can contain as much as 20 grams of silver.
As the world adopts solar photovoltaics, silver could see dramatic demand coming from this form of renewable energy.
Silver in Electric Vehicles
Silver’s conductivity and corrosion resistance makes its use in electronics critical, and electric vehicles are no exception. Virtually every electrical connection in a vehicle uses silver.
Silver is a critical material in the automotive sector, which uses over 55 million ounces of the metal annually. Auto manufacturers apply silver to the electrical contacts in powered seats and windows and other automotive electronics to improve conductivity.
A Silver Intensive Future
A green future will require metals and will redefine the role for many of them. Silver is no exception. Long known as a precious metal, silver also has industrial applications metal for an eco-friendly future.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/silver ... ar-and-ev/
This article has a lot of interesting charts
