Washington State University engineering professor Grant Norton is developing technology that may allow more use of tin in lithim ion batteries. Tin would replace carbon and might extend the life of lithium batteries by a factor of three. Lithium ion batteries are commonly used laptops, cell phones, and electric cars. According to Dr. Norton, “If you thought about this in terms of automotive applications, in principle, then you could drive your car almost three times further as an existing battery. So the performance is encouraging.”
Washington State University has filed a patent for the design.
Source: Colin Fogarty, Northwest Public Radio, May 23, 2012.