He and his colleagues have come up with a new graphite-like material that overcomes these issues. "Now we think it's the surface chemistry of graphene layers and the electronic structure that cannot accommodate sodium ions." Researchers used to think this was because sodium ions are bigger than lithium ions, but turns out even-bigger potassium ions can move in and out easily in graphite, Sun says. However, sodium ions do not move efficiently between the stack of graphene sheets that make up graphite. Graphite, which is the anode material in lithium-ion batteries, is a lower cost option. "But you need to use high-grade activated carbon, which is very expensive and not easy to produce," Sun says. Some sodium battery developers are using activated carbon for the anode, which holds sodium ions in its pores. Sodium-ion batteries use cathodes made of sodium metal oxides, while their anodes are typically carbon-based anodes just like their lithium cousins although Santa Clara, California-based Natron Energy is making both its anodes and cathodes out of Prussian Blue pigment used in dyes and paints. "But currently the major problem with sodium-ion batteries is that we don't have a suitable anode material," says Jinhua Sun, a researcher in the department of industrial and materials science at Chalmers University of Technology.įor the battery to charge quickly and store a lot of energy, ions need to easily slip in and out of the anode material. The stability and safety of sodium batteries makes them especially promising for electronics and cars, where overheated lithium-ion batteries have sometimes proven hazardous. It opens up a path to making low-cost, compact sodium batteries practical.Ībundant and cheap, and with similar chemical properties as lithium, sodium is a promising replacement for lithium in next-generation batteries. The material can pack nearly as many sodium ions by volume as a conventional graphite electrode does lithium. Researchers now report a new type of graphene electrode that could boost the storage capacity of sodium batteries to rival lithium's.
NATRON ENERGY HR PORTABLE
At about 285 Wh/kg, lithium-ion batteries have twice the energy density of sodium, making them more suitable for those portable applications. Sodium-ion batteries just don't have the oomph needed for EVs and laptops. But so far, their commercialization is limited to large-scale uses such as storing energy on the grid. After years of anticipation, sodium-ion batteries are starting to deliver on their promise for energy storage.
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