Liquified Gas Electrolytes: A Breakthrough Approach for Safer Batteries, with Jungwoo Lee

At the center of many battery safety and performance issues sits the electrolyte. Typically a liquid, and often flammable, electrolytes are susceptible to overheating, vaporizing, catching fire, or leaking. Finding the right electrolyte is a major challenge to pushing the boundaries of energy storage.

Enter South 8, a San Diego-based startup that seeks to revolutionize battery design with their Liquefied Gas (LiGas) Electrolyte technology. LiGas offers a unique approach to addressing shortcomings of existing liquid and solid-state electrolytes: unlike conventional liquids, liquified gases simply evaporate away when a cell is punctured eliminating thermal runaway reactions. The challenge is to preserve or improve all other aspects of battery performance while using such a novel electrolyte system, but South 8 claims their technology can maintain high cycle life and operate under a wide range of temperatures (-60 to +60C).

In Aionics Fortnightly Episode 30, we’ll hear more from South 8’s Co-Founder and CTO Jungwoo Lee. Will LiGas electrolytes change the game? Make sure to bring your questions!