Samsung finds another use for graphene balls

li-ion with great balls of fire

Samsung’s Advanced Institute of Technology has come up with another use for graphene balls – giving a coat for use inside a regular li-ion cell.

Apparently, the trick can increase the overall capacity of a battery by up to 45 percent and speeding up charging by five times.

Fast charging also does not hurt the cell’s lifespan, with the team claiming that after 500 cycles, the enhanced battery still had a 78 percent charge retention.

The graphene coating improves the stability and conductivity of the battery’s cathode and electrode, so can take the rigours of fast charging with fewer downsides.

Samsung’s research team has published a paper about how the graphene ball works, and how it’s produced. It’s clear the technology is at the very early stages, and isn’t likely to be a major feature on the Galaxy S9 or the iPhone 11, or any other device next year.

The company has filed patents in the United States and South Korea for graphene ball technology, but there is no indication when or if it will reach a consumer product.