Sand boosts lithium-ion battery performance three-fold

The researchers found out where in the U.S. sand had the highest percentage of quartz, which led them to the Cedar Creek Reservoir outside of Dallas. They gathered sand from that spot and then brought it back to the lab where they milled it down to the nanometer scale and purified it. They then ground salt and magnesium -- common sea water elements -- into the quartz. After heating the powder, they were left with pure silicon.

So there is an abundant supply of this solution...

“This is the holy grail – a low cost, non-toxic, environmentally friendly way to produce high performance lithium ion battery anodes,” said Zachary Favors, a graduate student working on the project.

UC Riverside says that "the energy density is more than three times higher than that of traditional graphite based anodes, which means cell phones and tablets could last three times longer between charges."

This could lead to all cars turning to electric vehicles. THe supply chains of UPS and Fedex buying fleets of electric semi trctor trailors. The end of dependence on fossil fuels as we know it!

Or at least a Tesla with 1500 mile range.

Source

a reply to: ChefSlug

they will figure out some way to make it cost more for everyone.

that's my prediction.

a reply to: thishereguy

Sounds to me like with a very small amount of equipment anyone could do this... I see a LOT of start-ups coming down the road chasing this... If it's valid; this is a big deal. Another step closer to my lightsaber >_>

Won't really end dependence on fossil fuels, batteries only store electricity they don't create it. You Will still need to charge your battery somehow. But good news for longer lasting electrical appliances.

originally posted by: DAZ21
Won't really end dependence on fossil fuels, batteries only store electricity they don't create it. You Will still need to charge your battery somehow. But good news for longer lasting electrical appliances.

[Insert picture of 'Aliens' guy from Discovery]
[Caption with "Solar Panels"]

-- You are right though.

a reply to: DAZ21

batteries only store electricity they don't create it.

Thats kinda crazy but I guess it makes sense. I always thought batteries created energy with some reaction between the battery acid and the lead plates.

But if a battery powered engine could spin an alternator/generator could that it keep the charge up?

and if a battery does not create energy why is their even speculation about the "baghdad battery"?...how would they have given it its original charge?

a reply to: thishereguy

Who's "they"? Samsung? Microsoft? Apple? They'd love to push the prices of their products down. Cheaper products = more sales.

As someone who uses Lithium Ion batteries all day every day for work this is a godsend. No more $149.00 for a pair of Dewalt 20v....

originally posted by: GetHyped
a reply to: thishereguy

Who's "they"? Samsung? Microsoft? Apple? They'd love to push the prices of their products down. Cheaper products = more sales.

they, meaning the tax collectors. the ones that tax everything so high that everything costs more than it costs to make and sell.

a reply to: ChefSlug
The actual material that boosts performance is silicon, the product of reduction of silica [sand]. The idiots who write the news are generally so scientifically illiterate that they are a source of entertainment for anyone with basic knowledge of whatever topic they are writing about.
Note that Magnesium metal is the reductant. One must make magnesium metal and while there are magnesium salts in seawater that can be made into magnesium, there is no metallic magnesium that occurs in nature.