Lithium batteries lose some of their charge over time. Even if it is left unused, the power will slowly decrease. This phenomenon is called “self-discharge”. Researchers at Dalhousie University have found that one culprit of self-discharge is adhesive tape, and replacing it could potentially solve a problem that has long plagued the battery industry. Like scotch tape, batteries use adhesive tape to hold the electrodes in place. Instead, the tape breaks down, producing molecules that cause self-discharge. The researchers exposed multiple batteries to different temperatures, then opened them up, and found that the electrolyte inside was red. Further analysis found that the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the tape breaks down, producing molecules called redox shuttles that move to the positive end of the electrode, then to the negative end, and then back again. Return to positive. It shuttles between electrodes creating a self-discharge. If the PET tape is replaced with a non-degradable material, the self-discharge phenomenon is expected to be greatly alleviated.
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