I-Anglo American kunye nePlatinam Group yaseka iLionBatteryTechnologies kunye neFlorida International University (Florida International University) kulo nyaka uphelileyo, kwaye yafumana amalungelo awodwa omenzi wechiza e-US ekusetyenzisweni kwesinyithi seplatinam kunye necarbon nanotubes. Sithethe noLions ukuze sifunde banzi ngale projekthi kunye nokubaluleka kokutyala imali kwimizi-mveliso emitsha okanye eyandisiweyo yokusetyenziswa kweentsimbi ezizimbayo.

Iintsimbi zeqela lePlatinam kudala zithathwa njengabanokutshintsha izicwangciso zophuhliso oluzinzileyo, ngakumbi kwiinkalo zolawulo lokukhutshwa kwezinto ezikhutshwayo kunye nolunye umbane. Ukusebenzisa iipropathi zabo ze-catalytic ukuphucula ukusebenza kwebhetri linyathelo elibalulekileyo eliya phambili kwizithuthi zombane kwaye livula umnyango wobomi bebhetri obude, kungekhona nje ukuhamba. Nangona le ngcamango ingekathengiswa, i-Lion Battery Technology ikholelwa ukuba iyasondela.

Intsebenziswano yasekwa kwi-2019 ukuxhasa umsebenzi kaDkt Bilal el-Zahab. U-Bilal el-Zahab, uprofesa oncedisayo wobunjineli bemishini kunye nezinto eziphathekayo kwiYunivesithi yaseFlorida International (FIU), uye wafunda iingenelo zokongeza iintsimbi zeqela leplatinam kwiteknoloji yebhetri. Ngokukodwa, uDkt El Zahab wafumanisa ukuba xa iqela leplatinamu yesinyithi i-palladium kunye neplatinum yongezwa, ukusebenza kakuhle kweebhetri ze-lithium-oksijeni kunye neebhetri ze-lithium-sulfur ziphuculwe, ngaloo ndlela kwandisa ubuninzi bamandla kunye nokuphinda kusetyenziswe iibhetri. Amalungelo awodwa omenzi wechiza asanda kongeza amafutha emlilweni, kwaye le projekthi ilindeleke ukuba ibe kwimarike kungekudala, isenza iqela leplatinam libe yintsimbi yokuqala kwishishini lebhetri. Kwincoko kunye noR. Michael Jones, i-CEO yePlatinum Group, wathi kwiminyaka emibini edlulileyo, imeko yangoku yeteknoloji yebhetri yayinganelanga ngokucacileyo ukuhlangabezana neemfuno zehlabathi elikhawulezayo. Uthe: “Iibhetri zeselfowuni ziya kuguga emva konyaka omnye wokutshaja kunye nokukhupha.” “Iibhetri zeemoto zombane ezisulungekileyo zinobunzima obungaphezulu kweekhilogram ezingama-300, kodwa ke iseyingxaki indlela yokuhamba ngenqanawa.

Ihlabathi lanamhlanje litshintshile ukusuka kwiitotshi ezisebenza ngebhetri ezandleni zookhokho bethu.

“Nangona iibhetri ze-lithium zinokuchazwa njengohlobo lwebhetri oluguquguqukayo, iimodeli ezikhoyo zinobomi obufutshane bebhetri kunye nokufudumala-ukongeza kumthamo wokutshaja, umsebenzi kaGqr El Zahab nawo uzama ukusombulula ezi ngxaki.” UJones Wongeze wathi: “Iibhetri ze-lithium zanamhlanje zilungile kwaye ziphucukile, kodwa ayiseyiyo le nto siyifunayo.” I-Lithium inokuthi ibe nguyena ophumelele ibhetri, kuba ilula kakhulu kwaye inee-electron ezininzi zokusebenzisa, ngoko ineempawu ezilungileyo zombane. Kodwa kukho ezinye iikhemikhali ezinokuphucula ibhetri xa yongezwa kwimichiza yayo yangaphakathi.

“Nangona iplatinam kunye ne-palladium okwangoku zifunwa kakhulu kwiziguquli ze-catalytic zezithuthi ezinepetroli, amandla abo awaziwayo okusebenza njengezinto zokukhuthaza kunye neempendulo zokwenziwa kwamafutha kuthetha ukuba baphucula ukusebenza kwebhetri ngelixa begcina imali kunye neendleko zokusingqongileyo kwinkqubo. Izinto ezilungileyo zomviwa. Nangona iibhetri ze-lithium-air ezikhoyo kunye neebhetri ze-lithium-sulfide zinokuba namandla kakhulu, imbali ibonise ukuba ukubuyiswa kwakhona kungumngeni. UDkt El Zahab kunye neqela lakhe leengcali ezithandathu ze-nanomaterials, kunye neqela le-battery postdoctoral, baye bafakazela iintsimbi zePlatinum zeqela azincedi nje ukuvuselela impendulo, kodwa nokuphucula umjikelo wokukhutshwa kwentlawulo. Ukuze unqume ukusebenza kwezi zixhobo kwibhetri, iqela liqhube “amakhulu” eebhetri zokulinga, lilandele ukusebenza kwazo yonke imihla, kwaye lilungelelanise isakhiwo sabo kunye neentsimbi zeqela leplatinam ukufumana ukusebenza kakuhle.

Yintoni elandelayo? Umsebenzi kwibhetri entsha uqhuba kakuhle. Iqela le-FIU ligqibe unyaka wokuqala wophando kwaye liphumelele inqanaba labo lokuqala lobugcisa. Le patent iyimpumelelo enkulu yeprojekthi ebizwa ngokuba yi “Cathode Battery with Improved Stability” kwaye ibandakanya ukusetyenziswa kobuchwepheshe obutsha obufana ne-carbon nanotubes kwiibhetri ze-lithium. Njengembasa kwi-FIU, iyunivesiti ityikitye isivumelwano senkxaso yophando kunye nesicelo selungelo elilodwa lomenzi wechiza kunye neNgonyama.

UJones uthe: “Injongo yethu kukuthatha ithuba lokuyila izinto ezintsha ngelixa siqhuba imfuno yentsimbi yeplatinam. Esi sibonelelo sokuqala selungelo elilodwa lomenzi wechiza linyathelo lokuqala elibalulekileyo kule njongo. UJones ukholelwa ukuba njengoko abantu abaninzi beqala ukulungisa igridi ukucima imiqobo yokwamkelwa ngokubanzi kwezithuthi zombane. Imarike yeebhetri ze-lithium ezingabizi kakhulu, ezikhaphukhaphu, nezinamandla ngakumbi ziya kukhula. Ukuqinisekisa ukurisayikilisha kube yinto ephambili kubantu abaninzi.

Ezi bhetri zintsha kulindeleke ukuba zisetyenziswe kakhulu kwi-electronics nakwamanye amacandelo. “Iibhetri ziyingxenye yeteknoloji yangoku, kodwa ukuba unokwandisa ukusebenza kwebhetri ngamaxesha amathathu ukuya kwesihlanu, kuya kwenza izithuthi zombane kunye nezixhobo zibe ngcono,” kusho uJones. “Nangona kuthatha iminyaka emithathu ukuya kwemihlanu ukuzisa izinto ezintsha kwiibhetri zorhwebo, amandla amakhulu.” Nangona ukusetyenziswa kwentsimbi yeqela leplatinam kunokunyusa ixabiso leebhetri, uJones uthe ukusebenza okuphezulu kweebhetri kulindeleke ukuba kunciphise ixabiso. Impembelelo. “Iintsimbi zeplatinum zilungele iikhemikhali, kwaye ngenxa yesi sizathu, sizisebenzise kwimibhobho yokukhupha iimoto ukucoca igesi,” kusho uJones.

“I-cathode yebhetri ilula kwaye inamandla ngakumbi kunebhetri yangoku, eyenza ibhetri ibe namandla kwaye iphile ixesha elide kuneteknoloji yangoku.” Nangona le teknoloji ayizange iphuhliswe ngokupheleleyo, iqela lophando liqinisekisile ukuba i-cathode iqulethe i-10 ukuya kwi-12 grams ye-platinum-based metal carbon nanotubes, unokubona ukusebenza okubalulekileyo kunye nenzuzo yokulinganisa ubunzima. UJones uthe ubunzima benkampani yi-144 kg yeebhetri ze-lithium-air kunye ne-188 kg yeebhetri ze-lithium-sulfur.

Izicelo ezininzi zelungelo elilodwa lomenzi wechiza sele zingenisiwe, kwaye amathemba orhwebo eprojekthi kwiminyaka embalwa ezayo anethemba. “Sixoxa ngokutsha kwethu kunye nabavelisi beebhetri zorhwebo,” watsho uJones. Siphumelele imida yobugcisa bonyaka wokuqala kwaye kulindeleke ukuba sizifezekise iinjongo zonyaka wesibini phambi kweshedyuli. “Siyavuya kakhulu ukuba lo mbono ungqina ukuba iintsimbi zeqela leplatinam zinokudlala indima ebalulekileyo kutsha lwebhetri.” Enyanisweni, i-AngloAmericanPlatinum ibhengeze ngo-2019 ukuba inzuzo yayo iphindwe kabini ukusuka kunyaka odlulileyo ngenxa yokunyuka kwexabiso lesinyithi seplatinam. , Ebonisa amathuba akhoyo kolu shishino lukhulayo.