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For years, the traditional lithium-ion battery has been used in consumer electronics. Over time, auto manufacturers have begun to use this technology to power electric cars. Consumers started charging up their vehicle batteries at home or on the go, but long trip was limited to battery's charge. Longer trip commuters found it difficult to find a charging station when the vehicle required more juice.
A newer type of battery made of lithium-sulfur cells can address several drawbacks of a lithium-ion cell. Two of the main benefit noticed by researchers was the overall battery capacity and weight. A lithium-sulfur cell can hold between three and five times the energy of a lithium-ion cell, enabling the possibility of longer trips between recharges. Due to energy density, the battery also has a substantially lower weight. This would allow even smaller vehicles to travel further without increasing the overall weight of the battery system.
However, there are several downsides which lithium-sulfur batteries need to overcome, then only it can emerge as a viable solution in the consumer market. Going through a cycle of charging and discharging, a battery ages. As this aging progresses, the sulfur becomes disconnected from the battery's electrodes which causes rapid degradation and battery fail. Traditional lithium-ion battery lasts between 500 and 1500 charges, where a lithium-sulfur lose its capacity after a hundred cycles. With the maturing technology industry found advancements like polymer binders that can improve stability over time, but not enough to make it commercially viable.
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