
Smartphones today have increasingly powerful batteries while becoming smaller and sleeker with each new generation. One contributing factor to this remarkable advancement is silicon-carbon batteries. In this article, we will explore this battery type and how it compares to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
What is a battery?
At its core, a battery is a device that stores and releases energy through electrochemical reactions. When an external device is connected to the battery, charged ions flow from the anode (the negative terminal, which stores energy) to the cathode (the positive terminal) through the electrolyte, creating an electric current.
Battery Types
Most smartphones, smartwatches, and laptops today are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which mostly use graphite-based anodes. Likewise, Silicon-carbon batteries, sometimes abbreviated as Si/C, share the basic operating principles of lithium-ion batteries but with a key difference; the anode material is made from silicon carbon instead of traditional graphite. On the third of the list, we have Sodium-ion. They use Sodium (Na) as the charge carrier which makes it cheaper but with a shorter life cycle and lower energy density making it the least preferred option in the battery category.
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Silicon carbon, Lithium-Ion, and Sodium-Ion Batteries
As I have mentioned previously, the main difference between silicon-carbon and lithium-ion batteries lies in the anode material.
Silicon-carbon anodes can provide up to 10 times more capacity than graphite anodes. This improvement arises because of the difference in chemical properties between the two compounds. Graphite stores lithium ions through intercalation where ions nestle between graphite layers with a specific capacity of 372 mAh/g. In contrast, silicon stores lithium ions through alloying, a process in which silicon reacts with lithium to form lithium-silicon (Li-Si) compounds. This chemical reaction allows silicon to achieve a much higher capacity, up to 4,000 mAh/g. And just like that, Sodium-ion batteries store Na ions in the host materials through intercalation. These batteries have the least energy density compared to the other two batteries, around 160 mAh/g.
How battery tech is changing?
With time, we can see battery tech changing especially for portable electronics and electronic vehicles. The most significant change in recent years has been the development of (Si/C) anodes to replace the traditional graphite nodes in Lithium-ion batteries. Although still less popular than Li-ion and Si/C batteries, sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a potential alternative, particularly in cost-sensitive applications as sodium is more abundant and cheaper than the other two. They are used in stationary applications such as grid-scale power stations and modes of transport that do not require traveling long distances such as electric scooters or electric buses.
Batteries for Electronic Vehicles (EVs)
While smartphone and consumer electronics battery technologies grab a lot of attention, the biggest changes in battery tech are happening in the electric vehicle. As batteries with higher energy densities are developed, electric vehicles will be able to go longer distances on a single charge. This will make them more competitive with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. The adoption of Si/C could be a game changer in this area.
Hype of Si/C batteries
Silicon Carbon batteries are rapidly becoming popular in the tech industry for some good reasons. They offer greater resistance to cold temperatures because carbon helps boost ion flow, reducing internal resistance and ensuring efficient charge/ discharge at lower temperatures.
Moreover, a silicon-based battery of the same size as a lithium-ion battery can store significantly more energy, due to silicon’s much higher energy density compared to traditional graphite anodes. This reduces the size of smartphones or any other electronic devices making them more preferable. Not just that, because silicon has higher conductivity and a larger surface area enabling quicker lithium-ion insertion and extraction, Si/C can even charge faster.
Smartphones using Silicon-carbon batteries
Flagship Phones |
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Midrange Phones | |
Budget Phones | N/A |
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