Researchers in Australia say they have developed the world's most powerful rechargeable battery using lithium-sulfur, said to perform four times better than the strongest batteries currently available.

What's more, these lithium-sulfur batteries are lighter and cheaper than the widely used lithium-ion batteries and can be produced cost-effectively and in an environmentally friendly manner, the researchers say.

The innovation, made by researchers from Monash University in Clayton, Australia, comes as the limits of the current lithium-ion batteries are being tested by their growing use in cars, smartphones and countless other devices.

At the heart of the new battery, still in development, is a particularly robust sulfur electrode, which the team around Monash researcher Mahdokht Shaibani presented in the US journal Science Advances.

The technology could also prove useful in aviation, where planes need to maintain a low weight, according to Holger Althues from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden, participating in the research.

While they are larger than their lithium-ion counterparts, lithium sulfur cells can store more energy at the same weight.

One disadvantage of the lithium-sulfur battery, however, is that the cathode expands and contracts noticeably when absorbing and releasing lithium. This often causes tiny fractures in the material, so that the cell wears out quickly.

However, the Australian research team says it has developed and patented a promising solution to this problem.

"This approach not only favours high performance data and a long service life, but also simple and extremely cost-effective production using water-based processes," Monash researcher Matthew Hill said. "And it can lead to a significant reduction in environmentally hazardous waste."

 - dpa