{"id":23138,"date":"2022-07-14T13:18:12","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T12:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=23138"},"modified":"2022-07-14T13:18:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T12:18:12","slug":"creating-sodium-ion-batteries-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/creating-sodium-ion-batteries-technology\/23138\/","title":{"rendered":"Sodium-ion batteries: A promising candidate for new battery technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sodium is a chemical element that is considered cheap, abundant, and a promising candidate for new battery technology. However, the limited performance of sodium-ion batteries has prevented widespread applications of this technology.<\/p>\n
To address this issue, a research team from the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has observed that a simple shift in the ingredients that construct the liquid core of the battery prevents the performance issues typically encountered in sodium-based batteries. The results of this study were recently published in the journal Nature Energy<\/em> and provide a promising process for a battery that could potentially power electric vehicles (EVs) and store energy from the Sun.<\/p>\n “Here, we have shown in principle that sodium-ion batteries have the potential to be a long-lasting and environmentally friendly battery technology,” explained Jiguang (Jason) Zhang, lead author from PNNL, and a pioneer of battery technologies with more than 23 patented inventions in energy storage technology.<\/p>\n The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office, supported the study. Imaging studies were performed at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at PNNL sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research.<\/p>\n An electrolyte is an element that keeps the energy flowing within the battery; it is formed by dissolving salts in solvents and generating charged ions that flow between the positive and negative electrodes. As time passes, the electrochemical reactions responsible for maintaining the energy flow become sluggish, meaning that the battery cannot recharge. Currently, in sodium-ion battery technologies, this process occurs much faster than in lithium-ion batteries.<\/p>\n PNNL scientists tackled this problem by substituting the liquid solution and the type of salt flowing within to create a novel electrolyte recipe. Laboratory tests revealed that this new design is durable, as it held 90% of its cell capacity after 300 cycles at 4.2V, which is higher than most of the sodium-ion batteries previously recorded.<\/p>\n Additionally, the existing electrolyte process for creating sodium-ion batteries results in the protective film on the negative end \u2013 or the anode \u2013 dissolving over time. This film is considered critical because it allows sodium ions to pass while preserving battery life. The PNNL research team\u2019s new technology stabilises this protective film and the new electrolyte generates an ultra-thin protective layer on the positive pole \u2013 or the cathode \u2013 that contributes towards additional stability of the entire unit.<\/p>\nCreating sodium-ion batteries: Assembling the correct ingredients<\/h3>\n
A naturally fire-extinguishing solution<\/h3>\n