Eli5 How can the new Xiaomi phone charge from 0 to 100% in 9 minutes ? What about the heat the battery must produce from charging this fast ?
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It appears that they’ve gone to a very high silicone load in their cells. Silicone is known for being able to absorb lithium ions very quickly and holding a lot of power. The downside of silicone is that it expands to 4x it’s original size once charged. This places a lot of mechanical stress on the cathode and breaks it down quickly. It also won’t generate as much heat as might be imagined because of how easily silicone can accept charge.
Batteries are a balancing act. Push the needle too far in one direction and performance suffers in another. In this case Xiaomi would seem to be sacrificing longevity for rapid charge speed and capacity.
Frankly, it’s may not be a bad trade considering that most people trade in their phones after only a year or two.
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