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Artificial Intelligence Helped Find a Replacement for Lithium in Batteries

11.01.2024
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https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67912033

Researchers from Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which is part of the US Department of Energy, worked on the discovery. Microsoft researchers used artificial intelligence and supercomputers to study patterns of 32 million inorganic materials that could potentially be used to create batteries. Of these, 18 promising candidates were identified in less than a week.

As a result, as Geek Wire reports, scientists synthesized and tested a new material combining lithium and sodium and found that it had a new molecular structure that facilitated the movement of ions. The battery they created belongs to solid electrolytes. After its discovery, the new material was already used to power an electric light bulb.

A new type of artificial intelligence created by Microsoft is trained on molecular data and is able to understand chemical processes. Using traditional laboratory research methods, this could take more than two decades, say the authors of the development. It took just under nine months to create a working prototype of the battery.

Lithium is often called "white gold" due to its high value and silvery color. It is one of the key components of rechargeable batteries (lithium-ion batteries) that power electric vehicles, smartphones and many other electronic devices. The demand for this metal is constantly growing, along with the demand for electric vehicles. Therefore, according to the International Energy Agency, there may be a lithium shortage in the world as early as 2025. According to the US Department of Energy, by 2030 the demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase 10 times, so manufacturers are constantly building battery factories.

However, lithium mining methods are often controversial because the development of lithium deposits takes several years and has a significant impact on the environment.

 

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