Dendrites (IMAGE)

DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Dendrites

Caption

Dendrites -- fingerlike deposits of lithium metal -- grow from the surface of a battery anode and penetrate the separator between the battery's halves. When this happens the battery can short-circuit, overheat and burst into flame. A study by SLAC and Stanford found that adding two chemicals to the battery's electrolyte could prevent this growth in next-generation lithium metal batteries.

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SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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