Researchers have shown theoretically how to control or
eliminate the formation of "dendrites" that cause lithium-ion
batteries to fail, an advance that if realized would improve safety and might
enable the batteries to be charged within a matter of minutes instead of hours.
The dendrites are lithium deposits that form on electrode
surfaces and may continue to grow until they cause an internal short circuit,
which results in battery failure and possible fire.
Researchers have created an analytical theory that shows how
to design experiments to study ways of controlling dendrite growth, and results
of the theory allow researchers to predict early stages of dendrite formation.