Toyota’s Scientists Create Intelligent Battery with Magnesium

Cell phone batteries cause anxiety in their users, making them think that they will run out of charge, if will they have enough time or find place to charge them. Toyota with their scientists in Toyota research Institute of North America (TRINA) take a new approach that includes magnesium batteries. These batteries may be long-lasting and used for many things, from cars to cell phones.

For instance, magnesium it is more stable than lithium, meaning it could be used in batteries and give better electrical storage capacity, as said in Toyota. There were some problems in the beginning, because magnesium has problems of its own.

Researchers were in doubt about how will electrolytes react with metal. The electrolyte works as a medium in transferring electrons between electrodes in battery, and that is how a battery’s chemical energy is transformed to electrical energy.

In this experiment, Toyota’s chemical engineer Rana Mohtadi examined hydrogen storage materials, and found that there is one of the materials that could work with magnesium batteries.

“We were able to take a material that was only used in hydrogen storage and we made it practical and very competitive for magnesium battery chemistry,” said Mohtadi. “It was exciting.”

This was not something new, but was amazing for Toyota, knowing that they produce and sell millions of hybrid cars.

Every new research comes with a warning, as it progresses with magnesium batteries. Laboratory achievement doesn’t always convert to commercially applicable product, but as for everything, the change needs time. Toyota has admitted that it could take 20 years in researching and growth before this kind of magnesium batteries reach customer’s hands.