Sodium Replaces Lithium In A New Type Of Battery

Origins

The journey of sodium batteries dates back to the 1960s, initiated by French scientists during the first oil embargo crisis. Despite early research, lithium batteries outperformed sodium due to breakthroughs in intercalation chemistry, allowing lithium to dominate the market. Y. Meng explains, "The lithium outperformed the sodium back in the seventies, and sodium was really behind." 1

   

Comparative Analysis

Sodium batteries offer a promising alternative to lithium, especially in terms of supply chain security and environmental impact. Y. Meng highlights that sodium batteries can achieve similar driving ranges to lithium batteries, making them viable for electric vehicles. She states, "We demonstrated the concept that sodium solid state batteries with anode free architecture could work." 1 Additionally, solid-state batteries replace flammable liquid components with solid materials, enhancing safety and energy density. Meng notes, "This will enable us to build the batteries with very high energy density while not sacrificing the safety aspect." 2