Artificial intelligence has discovered a new substance for safer batteries

Researchers at Microsoft Corporation and the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have used artificial intelligence to discover a new substance that could be used in safer, longer-lasting batteries.

Here's What We Know

The researchers used Microsoft's Azure Quantum Elements (AQE) platform, which combines high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, to find new battery materials.

They first queried AQE for materials that use less lithium. The system suggested 32 million different candidates.

Next, the researchers applied AI filters to select the most stable materials. There were already 500,000 of them.

The scientists then analysed how well each of the proposed materials could conduct energy. They also modelled the movement of atoms and molecules within each substance.

Another filter assessed the practicality of each candidate in terms of production costs and component availability.

All the selection steps left 23 potential materials, of which 18 were completely new compounds. The scientists synthesised one of them in the laboratory and tested it in a battery mock-up.

Thus, thanks to artificial intelligence, the scientists managed in 80 hours to select from 32 million variants to one promising candidate for a new type of battery.

In addition, the discovered substance uses a combination of lithium and sodium. Microsoft estimates that the new material will reduce the use of sodium in batteries by 70 per cent compared to conventional technologies. In theory, this will allow the development of a solid-state battery that is safer than today's lithium-ion batteries made with liquid electrolytes,

However, scientists still need to conduct hundreds of prototype tests based on the substance before it can be used in commercial products.

Source: Microsoft