Lithium Ion Specialist: Battery Technology Needs A Quick Fix

With Panasonic and Matsushita joining the procession Tuesday of companies recalling notebook computer lithium ion batteries, the CEO of a company developing heat-resistant battery technologies said the safety challenges will keep growing with the demand for more robust but safer batteries.

"I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with lithium ion technology," said Steven Carlson of Optodot in an interview. "It's just that the requirements (of manufacturers) are pushing the limits of lithium ion. We need to move swiftly now to fix the problem."

Optodot has developed an advanced separator technology that separates electrodes in the batteries. The small firm's inorganic separator technology is based on the use of metal oxide inorganic materials that don't melt at high temperatures. The batteries that have been recalled by Apple, Dell, Sony and now Panasonic and Matsushita have sometimes caught on fire because microscopic material got into battery cells, causing short circuits. Notebook battery fires have most commonly broken out in flammable organic solvent in the batteries.

While inorganic separators can eliminate the problem, Carlson noted that other solutions like automatic shut downs of batteries at high temperatures can also keep batteries from overheating. "A lithium ion battery should never get to 100 degrees centigrade boiling," Carlson said. "Some companies have been diligent with voltage controls -- when a battery gets too hot, it automatically turns off."

Even as batteries are currently being recalled, Carlson said manufacturers of notebook computers are seeking ways to make more powerful and robust batteries. As notebooks become more powerful to carry out more demanding applications, the need for better and safer batteries will increase, said Carlson. "To make better batteries you need better materials," he said. "(Manufacturers) want safer batteries, they want lower cost, they want longer lifetime, and they want lower temperature."

In spite of the current recalls of lithium ion notebook batteries, Carlson said he expects the industry to continue growing at a 11 to 15 percent a year " a $7 billion industry. Optodot is partnering with different manufacturers " he declined to list them by name " in supplying advanced lithium ion safety features for cell phones and notebooks as well as for more demanding applications like hybrid vehicles.

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