Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production

[usonian]

Last edited Sat May 4, 2024, 12:03 AM - Edit history (1)

https://newatlas.com/energy/natron-sodium-ion-battery-production-startt/

Not only is sodium somewhere between 500 to 1,000 times more abundant than lithium on the planet we call Earth, sourcing it doesn't necessitate the same type of earth-scarring extraction. Even moving beyond the sodium vs lithium surname comparison, Natron says its sodium-ion batteries are made entirely from abundantly available commodity materials that also include aluminum, iron and manganese.

Furthermore, the materials for Natron's sodium-ion chemistry can be procured through a reliable US-based domestic supply chain free from geopolitical disruption. The same cannot be said for common lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel.

Sodium-ion tech has received heightened interest in recent years as a more reliable, potentially cheaper energy storage medium. While its energy density lags behind lithium-ion, advantages such as faster cycling, longer lifespan and safer, non-flammable end use have made sodium-ion an attractive alternative, especially for stationary uses like data center and EV charger backup storage.

Founded in 2013, Natron has been one of the pioneers in this new wave of sodium-ion research and innovation. And while most sodium-ion designs remain in the laboratory, Natron has switched on one of the first major production operations globally. It celebrated the official production kick-off earlier this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Holland, Michigan manufacturing facility, calling it the first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the US.

Advantages include charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion,and an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.
More at the link.


Edit: You made me look.
Here's more info:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/sodium-ion-battery

“From a pure performance point-of-view, sodium-ion batteries are not attractive for portable electronics or electric vehicles,” says K. M. Abraham, research professor at Northeastern University and CTO of lithium battery consulting firm E-KEM Sciences. Lithium-ion batteries boast a higher energy density than sodium-ions, which means a compact lithium-ion will have a longer run time between charges. So far, sodium-ions have demonstrated about half the energy density of lithium, which can reach 285 Wh/kg, he says.

But sodium-ion batteries could give lithium-ions a run for their money in stationary applications like renewable energy storage for homes and the grid or backup power for data centers, where cost is more important than size and energy density. Based on currently available information, Abraham projects the cost of sodium-ion batteries to be about 10–20 percent less than lithium-ion.

...

Natron is one of only a handful of players developing and commercializing sodium-ion batteries. The company is taking a unique approach, making both the cathode and anode from Prussian Blue, the pigment used in paints and dyes. The low-cost material’s chemical structure is very good at soaking up and releasing sodium ions, giving a battery that can charge and discharge in minutes and can deliver quick bursts of energy. The Prussian Blue electrodes can also last longer than carbon- and metal-based electrodes, with more than 50,000 charging cycles possible, Pouchet says.

Looks like half the energy density of Lithium, so perhaps better for home use for now.

Wikipedia says:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-ion_battery
Natron is a spin-off from Stanford University.