Lithium metal anode without a solid electrolyte. Typical Lithium-ion Battery Cell: - Electrodes (Anode and Cathode) separated by a liquid or gel, electrolyte and a polymer separator - Separator is a porous material that doesn't serve to add any performance benefits: - Keeps the 2 sides of the electrodes from touching and causing the battery to short circuit - Short circuited battery can lead to a fire Lithium metal, the enabler of performance upgrades expected to come from solid-state batteries is notoriously unstable Over many charge cycles, lithium metal tends to deposit non-uniformly and create small spears within the battery called **"dendrites"** Dendrites can puncture the batteries separator and will cause the battery to short circuit. This all happens very fast and **makes lithium metal anodes commercially unviable ** ![[Pasted image 20210912132308.png]] Left: conventional electrolyte Right: SES liquid electrolyte > Solid electrolytes **allow for a more uniform dispersion of lithium ions and prevents dendrite formation ** Though, Solid electrolytes have flaws: 1. Manufacturability 2. Durability 3. Chemistry Compatability Yet, regardless of the solid electrolyte’s limitations, conventional wisdom at the moment is that they remain the best way to produce a battery with a lithium metal anode. **SES challenges conventional wisdom. ** --- [SES](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4454724-ses-the-leading-solid-state-battery-isnt-really-a-solid-state-battery) [Solid Power](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435223-solid-power-is-the-overlooked-solid-state-leader) #batteries #kp