21: Chapter 21 Successful Development of All-Solid-State Batteries

The morning of January 21st.

After two days of setup, the third-floor laboratory was fully equipped, and the experimental materials had been purchased.

Everything was ready, and all that was needed was the final push.

At 9:00 AM, Su Fan called Zhang Minghan to the third-floor lab.

He solemnly handed over a new Xiawei phone he was holding.

“This phone has been secured with encrypted protection. It contains all the data for all-solid-state batteries. Your next task is to follow this data and create an all-solid-state battery that will disrupt the global new energy battery market,” Su Fan said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Minghan's pupils constricted.

Data for all-solid-state batteries—no wonder he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. If this thing was truly developed, Super God Energy would have the final say in the global new energy market!

He solemnly took the phone, his hands trembling slightly.

Su Fan patted his shoulder and comforted him, “Don't be nervous, I'll be working on the R&D right alongside you.”

The two began their journey of developing all-solid-state batteries.

Among current batteries in the world, lithium batteries have the highest energy density. Based on the electrolyte used, they are further divided into liquid batteries, semi-solid-state batteries, and solid-state batteries.

The maximum energy density of liquid batteries is 0.3 kWh per kilogram, semi-solid-state batteries are 0.36 kWh per kilogram, and solid-state batteries can theoretically reach 0.4 to 0.9 kWh per kilogram.

However, solid-state batteries have not yet hit the market, so it remains unknown if they can actually reach such energy densities.

Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries have a fatal flaw: they are prone to explosive combustion.

The news reports of electric scooters in hallways causing fires are almost all due to lithium battery explosions.

Incidents of new energy vehicles spontaneously combusting or the cell phone explosions from years ago were all caused by lithium batteries.

The all-solid-state battery Su Fan and his team were developing this time was not a traditional lithium-ion battery, but a battery composed of a mixed compound of sodium ions, potassium ions, carbon, silicon, and other elements.

The principle is that both compound molecules can simulate biological discharge phenomena.

(Can't make up more BS; anyway, it's black technology and very impressive.)

The energy density of this all-solid-state battery could reach a terrifying 10 kWh per kilogram.

Moreover, it is extremely resistant to severe cold and high temperatures; from minus 70 degrees to 110 degrees Celsius, there is no loss in battery capacity.

It won't burn or explode even if thrown into a fire!

Cutting it with scissors, piercing it with an awl, or throwing it in water—none of these will cause combustion or explosion!

The all-solid-state battery is so superior that once developed, all other batteries on the market will be completely obsolete!

Because the production cost of all-solid-state batteries is extremely low—only 100 yuan per kilogram. Converted to capacity, the cost is only about 10 yuan per kWh, which is a total dimensional strike against other batteries on the market.

The cost of lithium batteries on the market is roughly 600 to 800 yuan per kWh because the price of the raw material lithium fluctuates significantly.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

When Zhang Minghan saw the introduction in the data, his worldview was shattered. This didn't align with science!

However, as the research progressed, this worldview-shattering battery was slowly manufactured!

“Test and calculate the battery density!” Su Fan commanded in the lab.

After a week, the first finished product was finally created.

A black cube, resembling both carbon and metal, sat quietly on the lab bench.

“Testing and calculation complete. The energy density...” Zhang Minghan was in disbelief.

“Energy density is 1.8 kWh per kilogram!”

“Too far off. Continue the experiments,” Su Fan said, frowning.

A week of laboratory life had been hard to adjust to; it seemed he was better suited to lying back as a boss. Lab work didn't suit him at all.

The two resumed their tedious and monotonous R&D work.

It was hard to imagine how difficult scientific research was, even with all the data provided.

Those researchers who crossed the river by feeling the stones, with no reference and no certainty of results, are the ones who truly deserve everyone's respect!

Another week passed.

Inside the lab, Zhang Minghan nervously tested the finished battery.

Suddenly, he let out a cheer: “President Su, we succeeded!”

“Battery energy density: 10 kWh per kilogram!”

“We’ve made history!”

Su Fan grinned, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, “This is just the beginning. From now on, we will continue to make history!”

Zhang Minghan nodded solemnly. At this moment, his admiration for Su Fan reached its peak.

“Clean up, then go back to the dormitory to wash up. Come to my office at 3:00 PM.”

Su Fan was exhausted; two weeks of high-intensity R&D work was too much!

He definitely needed a good sleep at noon.

“Yes! President Su!”

Zhang Minghan generally didn't go home now. There was a dormitory building next to the office building that had been prepared for occupancy recently.

...

The R&D phase of the all-solid-state battery had concluded; the next step was large-scale industrial production.

During these two weeks, Su Fan had spent almost all his time outside the lab in his office drawing blueprints.

Fortunately, he had Red Queen's assistance; otherwise, the efficiency would have been too low.

He had blueprints for various scales of all-solid-state battery production lines in his mind, but they needed to be brought into reality.

Red Queen's server was still at the villa because the villa area had tighter security. The company had many people, which wasn't conducive to secrecy.

Accessing Red Queen remotely via the network didn't cause much latency.

Besides this, Zhou Xiaoxiao had also been running around in circles these two weeks, responsible for customizing and purchasing various equipment for the production line.

After the purchases, she had to report to Su Fan so he could guide the technicians in the installation.

In addition to procurement, she also needed to interview new employees.

Luckily, she had four administrative clerks helping her; otherwise, the workload would have driven her crazy.

In short, within two weeks, the laboratory R&D for the all-solid-state battery was finished, and the factory production line was complete.

In terms of recruitment, six more technicians with Master's degrees were hired.

One point worth noting: why could the production line be built simultaneously when the all-solid-state battery was still in the laboratory R&D stage?

Because there were existing blueprints for the production line; it could be built by following the patterns.

Inside the lab, the main breakthrough was the synthesis of multiple new compounds. The difficulty of this experiment lay in a specific compound solution; only by adding this special compound solution could the all-solid-state battery be produced.

The production line was about the machinery, while the laboratory research was about the materials.

Once the material research was complete, mass production only required feeding the materials into the production line.

With Red Queen's help, the industrial intelligent software for the production line had already been implanted.

Personnel only needed to feed materials according to the requirements, and after a while, the finished products would appear at the end of the intelligent production line—extremely convenient and user-friendly!

The six newly hired Master's students would next participate in the synthesis of other compound materials, excluding the special compound solution synthesis.

The core technology was only known to Su Fan and Zhang Minghan.

Su Fan wasn't worried about Zhang Minghan betraying him because he knew Zhang Minghan's mother had uremia, and he held the trump card: the gene optimization fluid.

Once the gene optimization fluid was prepared, unless one was a beast, no one would betray a benefactor who saved their mother.

“It seems the development of the Level 1 Gene Optimization Fluid needs to be put on the agenda too,” Su Fan lamented.

He suddenly realized that the leisurely life of a boss from a while ago was gone forever.

Indeed, running a real industry is hard!

The next step involved the marketing and sales of the all-solid-state batteries. This made Su Fan even more of a headache because it meant the date of his contact with the Xia Country authorities, or even the military, was drawing closer and closer!

...