By : Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, July 20, 2022
Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a sodium-ion battery with far superior longevity in laboratory tests, overcoming one of the main obstacles to large-scale application of this technology.
[post_relacionado]In an article published in the journal Nature Energy, the scientists explain that a change in the ingredients that make up the liquid core of the battery avoids the performance problems that have hitherto plagued sodium batteries.
The expectation, they say, is that one day this battery will power electric vehicles and store energy from the sun.
“Here we have shown, in principle, that sodium-ion batteries have the potential to be a durable and environmentally friendly battery technology,” Jiguang (Jason) Zhang, lead author of the study, said in a press release. .
Zhang explained that in batteries, the circulating electrolyte keeps the energy flowing. This is formed by dissolving salts in solvents, giving rise to charged ions that flow between the positive and negative electrodes. Over time, the electrochemical reactions that maintain energy slow down, and the battery can no longer be recharged. In current sodium-ion battery technologies, this process occurs faster than in similar lithium-ion batteries.
The PNNL team changed the liquid solution and the type of salt that flows through it to create an entirely new electrolyte recipe. In laboratory tests, the new design proved to be durable, maintaining 90% of its cell capacity after 300 cycles at 4.2V, which is superior to most sodium-ion batteries that have been developed. previously registered.
The recipe was also shown to have a stabilizing effect on the protective film of the anode, which normally dissolves over time.
According to Zhang and colleagues, the new electrolyte also generates an ultrathin protective layer on the cathode that provides additional stability to the entire unit.
Source and photo : https://mineriaenlinea.com/2022/07/las-baterias-de-iones-de-sodio-de-mayor-duracion-estan-mas-cerca-de-ser-una-realidad/