As we push to make EV batteries more affordable, more stable, and longer-lasting, scientists have found a solution that could revolutionize the industry.
According to Interesting Engineering, researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering discovered a sodium-based solid-state battery that can compete with their lithium counterparts in freezing and room temperature situations.
The team used a new solid electrolyte paired with thick sodium cathodes, which, when combined, allowed the sodium batteries to operate well at freezing temperatures and at normal room temperature.
First author Sam Oh explained that the new metastable sodium hydridoborate has incredibly high ionic conductivity, meaning that electricity can be moved and stored much more easily.
The new electrolyte has conductivity "at least one order of magnitude higher than the one reported in the literature, and three to four orders of magnitude higher than the precursor itself," Oh said, per Interesting Engineering.
Sodium batteries may be the future of EV technology for several reasons, but they still pose some risks. They are safer and more stable than lithium-ion batteries, and sodium is a far more plentiful metal that is much more easily mined than lithium, meaning the batteries can be produced more cheaply and widely than they currently are.
However, sodium struggles to maintain charge over prolonged use and recharge cycles, and it has shown a tendency to short-circuit. These batteries don't fare well in colder temperatures, and the technology around them is still well behind their lithium counterparts.
The researchers hope this development will bolster sodium batteries as the technology continues to advance.
"It's not a matter of sodium versus lithium. We need both," said Y. Shirley Meng, Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at UChicago PME, per Interesting Engineering. "When we think about tomorrow's energy storage solutions, we should imagine the same gigafactory can produce products based on both lithium and sodium chemistries."
Meng added, "This new research gets us closer to that ultimate goal while advancing basic science along the way."
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The team noted that their breakthrough is scalable and can be applied in industrial settings, allowing the new batteries to be produced sooner rather than later.
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