2024-01-15 07:00:12
Faced with the constant progression of technological innovation, the use of lithium-ion batteries has now become essential. While many researchers are working to identify the materials likely to equip the batteries of tomorrow, it may ultimately be a artificial intelligence (IA) who achieved this, in one temps record.
A remarkable breakthrough has in fact been made by Microsoft in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), using AI, to identify innovative solid electrolytes. This development might mark a turning point in the technology batteries, with a reduced potential of combustion and a reduction in the use of lithium.
Photo by Dan DeLong for Microsoft.
The project started with the analysis of 32 million materials potential. Using AI and high-performance computing (HPC) in the cloud, this list was narrowed down to 23 promising candidates, 18 of which were new. This fast and precise method contrasts with traditional, time-consuming and expensive methods. Indeed, the AI ​​was able to achieve this result in 80 hours only. Ultimately, theensemble of the process of creating this material thus took a few weeks in total, whereas it would have taken several years in the traditional way!
AI has made it possible to effectively filter materials based on various criteria such as reactivity and conductivity. After analysis, six materials, specifically adapted to batteries, were ultimately selected. This advancement is significant because lithium-ion batteries, although widely used, have environmental implications. The extraction of lithium, necessary for these batteries, involves a process ofevaporation brines and the extraction of mineral ores roche hard. This operation is not only costly but also detrimental to theenvironment, raising questions regarding the sustainability of these technologies. Additionally, the limited geographic location of lithium deposits and the time required for the evaporation process make supply subject to fluctuations.
The research carried out by Microsoft and the PNNL is therefore an important step towards alternatives more durable. Their discovery might reduce the use of lithium by up to 70%, replacing it in part with sodium, an element that is more abundant and easier to exploit. However, the conductivity of batteries made with these new materials remains lower than that of batteries richer in lithium.
These discoveries are still at an early stage. The tests at large scale have not yet been done and many challenges need to be overcome before commercial implementation. Indeed, the transition from a laboratory discovery to a marketable product remains complex and uncertain. However, the use of AI in research accelerates the discovery process, thereby increasing the chances of meaningful innovations.
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