Samsung announced it boosted capacity and significantly reduced charge times in a new battery produced using graphene, a form of carbon, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology said the graphene-based battery offers 45 per cent more capacity than existing Lithium-ion (Li-ion) models and can be fully charged in 12 minutes, around five-times faster than current batteries. The institute noted the battery, which uses a graphene–silica assembly (called graphene balls), can also maintain stability at up to 60 degrees Celsius, which Yonhap noted would make the batteries suitable for use in electric vehicles.

Samsung applied for patents in South Korea and the US for the new process, Yonhap said, adding graphene can conduct electricity up to 140-times faster than silicon.

China’s state new agency Xinhua reported in July 2016 Dongxu Optoelectronics developed the world’s first graphene battery, which charges up to 20 times faster than a Li-ion battery. Dongxu claimed the battery can recharge a smartphone in 13 minutes to 15 minutes.