This film is critical because it allows sodium ions to pass through while preserving battery life. The PNNL team attacked that problem by switching out the liquid solution and the type of salt flowing through it to create a new electrolyte recipe.įor the first time ever, scientists greatly extended the number of charging cycles (300 or more) with minimal loss of capacity (>90% retained) in a coin-sized battery in lab tests.Īs PNNL explains, the current electrolyte recipe for sodium-ion batteries results in the protective film on the negative end (the anode) dissolving over time. In current sodium-ion battery technologies, this process happens much faster than in lithium-ion batteries. Over time, the electrochemical reactions that keep the energy flowing get sluggish, and the battery can no longer recharge. The electrolyte forms by dissolving salts in solvents, resulting in charged ions that flow between the positive and negative electrodes. The right saltĪs PNNL explains, in batteries, the electrolyte is the circulating “blood” that keeps the energy flowing. Here, we have shown in principle that sodium-ion batteries have the potential to be a long-lasting and environmentally friendly battery technology. PNNL lead author Jiguang (Jason) Zhang, a battery technologies pioneer with more than 23 patented inventions in energy storage technology, said: That shift prevents performance issues that have caused trouble for previous sodium-based batteries. The researchers shifted the ingredients that make up the battery’s liquid core. The findings, published in the journal Nature Energy, provide a promising recipe for a battery that may one day power electric vehicles and store solar energy. Sodium-ion battery breakthroughĪ research team from the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a sodium-ion battery with greatly extended longevity. Sodium-ion battery performance has been limited because of poor durability, but this is about to change for the better. Plus, sodium-based batteries will be more environmentally friendly and even less expensive than lithium-ion batteries are becoming now. They’re energy dense, nonflammable, and operate well in colder temperatures, and sodium is cheap and abundant.
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