I-Anglo American kanye ne-Platinum Group basungule i-LionBatteryTechnologies kanye ne-Florida International University (Florida International University) ngonyaka odlule, futhi bathola amalungelo obunikazi ase-US ngokusetshenziswa kwezinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu nama-carbon nanotubes. Sikhulume ne-Lion ukuze sifunde kabanzi ngalo msebenzi kanye nokubaluleka kokutshala imali ezimbonini ezintsha noma ezandisiwe zokusebenzisa izinsimbi ezimbayo.

Sekuyisikhathi eside izinsimbi zeqembu lePlatinum zithathwa njengezingashintsha izinhlelo zentuthuko esimeme, ikakhulukazi emkhakheni wokulawula ukungcola kanye namanye amandla. Ukusebenzisa izici zabo ze-catalytic ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwebhethri kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile esiya phambili ezimotweni zikagesi futhi kuvula umnyango wempilo yebhethri ende, hhayi nje ezokuthutha. Yize lo mqondo ungakadayiswa, i-Lion Battery Technology ikholelwa ukuthi isisondele.

Ibhizinisi elihlanganyelwe lasungulwa ngo-2019 ukuze lisekele umsebenzi kaDkt. Bilal el-Zahab. U-Bilal el-Zahab, umsizi kaprofesa wobunjiniyela bemishini nezinto zokwakha e-Florida International University (FIU), ubefunda ngezinzuzo zokwengeza izinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu kubuchwepheshe bebhethri. Ikakhulukazi, uDkt. El Zahab wathola ukuthi uma iqembu leplatinamu izinsimbi ze-palladium neplatinamu zengezwa, ukusebenza kahle kwawo womabili amabhethri e-lithium-oksijeni namabhethri e-lithium-sulphur kuyathuthukiswa, ngaleyo ndlela kwandise ukuminyana kwamandla kanye nokusetshenziswa kabusha kwamabhethri. Amalungelo obunikazi akamuva engeze uphethiloli emlilweni, futhi iphrojekthi kulindeleke ukuthi ibe semakethe maduze, okwenza izinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu zibe yisiqalo embonini yebhethri. Engxoxweni no-R. Michael Jones, i-CEO yePlatinum Group, uthe eminyakeni emibili edlule, isimo samanje sobuchwepheshe bebhethri sasinganele ngokusobala ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zezwe elithuthuka ngokushesha. Uthe: “Amabhethri omakhalekhukhwini azoguga ngemva konyaka eshajwa futhi ekhishwa.” “Amabhethri ezimoto ezisebenza ngogesi ongahlanzekile anesisindo esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu angu-300, kodwa ukuhamba kwazo kuseyinkinga.

Izwe lanamuhla selishintshile lisuka kumathoshi asebenza ngebhethri ezandleni zokhokho bethu.

“Nakuba amabhethri e-lithium angachazwa njengohlobo lwebhethri olushintshashintshayo, amamodeli akhona anempilo emifushane yebhethri kanye nokushisa ngokweqile-ngaphezu kwamandla okushaja, umsebenzi kaDkt. El Zahab nawo uyazama ukuxazulula lezi zinkinga.” UJones Wengeze wathi: “Amabhethri e-lithium anamuhla mahle futhi ayathuthuka, kodwa awakabi yilokho esikudingayo.” I-lithium cishe izoba ngumnqobi webhethri, ngoba ilula kakhulu futhi inama-electron amaningi ongawasebenzisa, ngakho inezici ezinhle zikagesi. Kodwa kunezinye izakhi zamakhemikhali ezingathuthukisa ibhethri uma zengezwe ekwakhekeni kwamakhemikhali angaphakathi.

“Nakuba i-platinum ne-palladium njengamanje zidingeka kakhulu kuma-catalytic converters ezimoto ezisebenza ngophethiloli, ikhono labo elaziwayo lokusebenza njengezisusa kanye nokusabela kokucubungula uphethiloli lisho ukuthi athuthukisa ukusebenza kwebhethri kuyilapho zonga imali kanye nezindleko zemvelo kule nqubo. Izinto ezisetshenziswayo ezinhle. Nakuba amabhethri e-lithium-air akhona kanye namabhethri e-lithium-sulfide angaba namandla kakhulu, umlando ufakazele ukuthi ukugaywa kabusha kuyinselele. UDkt. El Zahab nethimba lakhe lochwepheshe abayisithupha be-nanomaterials, kanye nethimba lebhethri langemuva kodokotela, baye bafakazela ukuthi izinsimbi zePlatinum azigcini nje ngokusiza ukuvuselela impendulo, kodwa futhi zithuthukisa umjikelezo wokushaja. Ukuze kunqunywe ukusebenza kwalezi zinto kubhethri, ithimba ligijime “amakhulu” amabhethri okuhlola, lalandelela ukusebenza kwawo nsuku zonke, futhi lalungisa isakhiwo sazo Kanye nezinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu ukuze lithole ukusebenza okungcono kakhulu.

Yini elandelayo? Ukusebenza ngebhethri elisha kuqhubeka kahle. Ithimba le-FIU liqede unyaka wokuqala wocwaningo futhi laphumelela ingqopha-mlando yalo yokuqala yezobuchwepheshe. Le patent iyimpumelelo enkulu yephrojekthi ebizwa ngokuthi “Ibhethri ye-Cathode Enokuqina Okuthuthukisiwe” futhi ihlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe obusha obufana ne-carbon nanotubes kumabhethri e-lithium. Njengomklomelo we-FIU, inyuvesi isayine isivumelwano sokuxhaswa kwezicelo zocwaningo kanye ne-patent ne-Lion.

UJones uthe: “Umgomo wethu uwukusebenzisa ngokunenzuzo izinto ezintsha ezisezingeni eliphezulu kuyilapho siqhuba isidingo sezinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu. Lolu xhaso lokuqala lwelungelo lobunikazi luyingqopha-mlando yokuqala ebalulekile kulo mgomo.” UJones ukholelwa ukuthi njengoba abantu abaningi beqala ukulungisa igridi ukuze basuse izithiyo zokwamukelwa kabanzi kwezimoto zikagesi. Imakethe yamabhethri e-lithium ashibhile, alula, futhi anamandla kakhulu izokhula. Ukuqinisekisa ukuphinda kusetshenziswe kabusha sekuyinto ehamba phambili kubantu abaningi.

Lawa mabhethri amasha kulindeleke ukuthi asetshenziswe kakhulu kuma-electronics nakweminye imikhakha. “Amabhethri ayingxenye yobuchwepheshe bamanje, kodwa uma ungakwazi ukwandisa ukusebenza kwebhethri izikhathi ezintathu kuya kweziyisihlanu, kuzokwenza izimoto zikagesi kanye nemishini ibe ngcono,” kusho uJones. “Yize kuthatha iminyaka emithathu kuya kwemihlanu ukuletha izinto ezintsha kumabhethri okuhweba, amandla amakhulu.” Nakuba ukusetshenziswa kwezinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu kungase kwenyuse izindleko zamabhethri, uJones uthe ukusebenza kahle okuphezulu kwamabhethri kulindeleke ukuthi kunciphise inani lentengo. Ithonya. “Izinsimbi zeqembu lePlatinum ziyizinto ezinhle zamakhemikhali, futhi ngenxa yalesi sizathu, sizisebenzise emapayipini okukhipha umoya wezimoto ukuhlanza igesi ephumayo,” kusho uJones.

“I-cathode yebhethri ilula futhi inamandla kakhulu kunebhethri yamanje, okwenza ibhethri libe namandla futhi liphile isikhathi eside kunobuchwepheshe bamanje.” Nakuba lobu buchwepheshe bungakaze buthuthukiswe ngokugcwele, ithimba locwaningo liqinisekisile ukuthi i-cathode iqukethe i-10 Kufika ku-12 amagremu we-platinum-based metal carbon nanotubes, ungabona izinzuzo ezibalulekile zokusebenza kanye nesilinganiso sesisindo. UJones uthe isisindo esihlosiwe senkampani singu-144 kg samabhethri e-lithium-air kanye ne-188 kg yamabhethri e-lithium-sulfur.

Izicelo eziningi zelungelo lobunikazi zithunyelwe, futhi amathemba okuthengiswa kwephrojekthi eminyakeni embalwa ezayo anethemba. “Sixoxa ngokusungula kwethu nabakhiqizi bebhethri bezentengiselwano,” kusho uJones. Sesiyiphumelele imiqopho yezobuchwepheshe onyakeni wokuqala futhi kulindeleke ukuthi sizuze izinjongo zonyaka wesibili ngaphambi kwesikhathi esimisiwe. “Sijabule kakhulu ukuthi lo mqondo ufakazela ukuthi izinsimbi zeqembu leplatinamu zingadlala indima ebalulekile ekusungulweni okusha kwebhethri.” Eqinisweni, i-AngloAmericanPlatinum yamemezela ngo-2019 ukuthi inzuzo yayo isiphindeke ngaphezu kokuphindwe kabili kunonyaka odlule ngenxa yokwenyuka kwentengo yezinsimbi zeplatinamu. , Okukhombisa amathuba akhona kulo mkhakha odlondlobalayo.