ITRI (Industrial Technology
Research Institute), Taiwan's largest and one of the world's leading high-tech
research and development institutions, will accept a "2009 R+D 100
Award in Energy Devices" today, in Orlando, Fla., for developing STOBA
(self-terminated oligomers with hyper-branched architecture), the first technology
to enhance the safety of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
"It is a great honor to be recognized by a publication as prestigious
and influential as R+D Magazine," said Dr. Alex Peng, senior research
scientist and deputy general director at ITRI's Material and Chemical Research
Laboratories (MCL). "During the past five years, the STOBA team worked
diligently to develop this technology. They have truly earned this achievement."
Li-ion batteries, the power source for many consumer electronic devices, including
cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, cameras, and hybrid and electric cars, are
susceptible to overheating, which can cause fires and explosions. In the past,
safety standards for Li-ion batteries could not be raised because there was
no solution available.
To meet the growing demand for high-safety lithium batteries, ITRI successfully
developed STOBA, which has fundamentally resolved the safety issue. By integrating
a nano-grade high-molecular polymer, which forms a protective film, into the
Li-ion battery, a locking effect is generated when the battery encounters excessive
heat, external impact or piercing and interrupts the electrical and chemical
action, preventing explosions. In 2008 and 2009, STOBA passed the mandatory
shorting and piercing experiments conducted by battery manufacturers in Japan
and Taiwan. These intensive nail penetration and impact tests confirmed STOBA's
effectiveness in preventing internal shorting and overheating in Li-ion batteries.
For the past 47 years, The R+D 100 Awards have annually identified and
recognized the 100 most significant and revolutionary technologies newly introduced
to the market. Past winning technologies include the printer (1986) and HDTV
(1998). An R+D 100 Award serves as a mark of excellence to industry, government
and academia and confirms the technology is one of the top innovations of the
year. This year's winners will be honored at a ceremony this evening in Orlando,
Fla.
Posted November 12th, 2009
