Who would have thought that table salt, or sodium, could help us in the energy transition? Researchers at TU Delft have developed a special sodium-based battery that is more sustainable to produce than the widely used lithium battery. According to the researchers, this new battery also lasts longer and can be recharged relatively quickly.
Why you need to know this:
The world is electrifying. Therefore, it is important to make batteries sustainable and efficient.
The combination of high charging speed and stability is new. It is expected to take some time before this new technology can be widely used. The results of the study were recently published in the scientific journal Nature Sustainability.
Lithium and cobalt
The world is electrifying. For the energy transition, energy storage in batteries is therefore essential, such as for electric mobility and for short-term storage of solar and wind energy. A longer lifetime has only advantages, the battery becomes cheaper and there is less need for recycling.
Batteries are currently manufactured from materials such as lithium and cobalt, which are scarce resources and whose extraction causes environmental problems such as pollution and water scarcity. Therefore, many scientists are looking for alternatives.
Mobility
Longevity is particularly challenging for future lithium-ion batteries that aim for higher energy density, allowing an electric car to travel further. The current finding may therefore be significant in accelerating the development and introduction of these types of new batteries.
Related Posts
