Solid-state revolution: 100x power battery tech may soon run at room temp
As conventional lithium-ion batteries near their performance limits, scientists are exploring alternative technologies that promise higher energy density, faster charging, and greater sustainability.
Traditional lithium-ion batteries, while foundational to modern electronics and electric vehicles, face limitations such as safety concerns, limited energy storage capacity, and reliance on scarce materials.
Solid-state batteries, which replace the liquid electrolyte with a solid one, offer a promising solution—enabling the use of cheaper, more sustainable materials that could boost energy density by up to 40%.
However, they present their own set of challenges as performance hinge on solid electrolytes that can maintain stable contact with solid anodes. When voids or contact losses appear at the interface, the battery can fail entirely.
Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) are addressing this challenge by developing a novel solid electrolyte based on sodium super ionic conductors (NASICON) to make solid-state batteries more powerful and suitable for everyday use.
This novel solid electrolyte offer high ionic conductivity at room temperature and are more sustainable solution conventional lithium-ion batteries. They are chemically stable when paired with potassium
In fact, these liquid anodes are already showing energy performance 100 times greater than graphite, but they currently require 250°C to function.
'In a study, we were able to show that a liquid alkali metal anode is a hundred times more powerful than conventional graphite anodes,' Gustav Graeber, battery material expert at Humboldt University in Berlin and guest researcher at BAM, said in a release.
'However, this technology can currently only be used at 250 degrees Celsius. Our goal is to transfer its advantages to room temperature.'
This is significant because potassium is being tested as an additive to lower the melting point of liquid alkali metal anodes, making it possible to harness their exceptional performance without requiring extreme heat.
However, most conventional solid electrolytes break down when exposed to potassium, posing a challenge for researchers.
NASICON material is currently stabilized with hafnium, a rare and expensive element. BAM's research team, led by guest scientist Gustav Graeber, is now searching for alternative dopants that are just as effective but more sustainable and widely available.
If successful, their work could help scale up sodium-based solid-state batteries that are safer, cheaper, and far more efficient, paving the way for a new class of energy storage systems for mobile devices, electric vehicles, and the grid.
The most promising candidates are being tested directly in sodium batteries. 'Our research project is a decisive step toward high-performance batteries that are more sustainable, cheaper, and more efficient,' says Graeber.
'Sodium solid-state batteries could drastically reduce charging times and significantly improve the performance of mobile and stationary energy storage systems—an important contribution to decarbonization.'
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