Partnership targets inorganic electrolyte

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research will team up with electric vehicle battery researchers at the energy firm Hydro-Québec to develop inorganic solid electrolytes for use in lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries. The partners say glass-ceramic electrolytes, in particular, have excellent ionic conductivity and are safer than current versions because they are made of nonflammable materials. They hope to create solid-state batteries with double the energy density of current lithium-ion technology.