Development of a bipolar Li/composite polymer electrolyte/pyrite battery for electric vehicles

To demonstrate the concept of rechargeable polymer electrolyte bipolar lithium batteries, laboratory-type bipolar Li/pyrite 3-cell batteries were fabricated and tested. The unoptimized 5 V, 10 cm2 3-cell battery had a capacity of 30–40 mAh with 100% Faradaic efficiency. The long-term projection for a prototype sealed bipolar Li/composite polymer electrolyte/pyrite (Li/CPE/FeS2) battery, with a 45 μm-thick cathode is 250 Wh/kg specific energy. The performances of monopolar and bipolar battery designs are compared.