Samsung has announced the development of a unique "graphene ball" that could make lithium-ion batteries last longer and charge faster. In fact, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) said that using the new graphene ball material to make batteries will increase their capacity by 45% and make their charging speed five times faster. It was also said that batteries that use graphene ball can maintain a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius that is required for use in electric cars.
SAIT's team used a chemical vapor deposition process to grow a graphenesilica assembly, called a graphene ball. Each graphene ball is composed of a SiOx nanoparticle center and surrounding graphene layers, constituting a 3D popcorn-like structure. The graphene-ball coating improves cycle life and fast charging capability by suppressing detrimental side reactions and providing efficient conductive pathways.