Lithium carbonate method boosts energy density 10% in silicon-based batteries

Japan's Asahi Kasei developed a method using lithium carbonate to recover energy lost during the first charge of silicon-based batteries. Silicon anodes hold more energy than graphite but waste lithium on the first charge cycle. By adding special electrolyte additives, lithium carbonate releases extra lithium to offset that loss, boosting energy density by 10% while fitting into existing production lines without major changes.