Sodium could replace lithium for more cost-efficient battery storage, scientists say

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Sodium could replace lithium for more cost-efficient battery storage, scientists say
It costs roughly $15,000 a ton to mine lithium. Harvesting sodium costs just $150 per ton.
By Brooks Hays   |   Oct. 10, 2017 at 11:30 AM
 
Scientists say they've developed a sodium-based battery to rival lithium-ion systems, but at a fraction of the cost.
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Researchers at Stanford University have built a sodium-based battery that can store just as much energy as a lithium-ion battery, but at a significantly reduced cost.

Lithium-ion batteries have been the standard bearer for the last 25 years. But lithium is becoming increasingly scarce and mining costs are steep.

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2017/10/10/Sodium-could-replace-lithium-for-more-cost-efficient-battery-storage-scientists-say/7681507639505/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=3

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In the end, the cathode of the sodium-ion battery has a reversible capacity of 484 mAh g−1, and an energy density of 726 Wh kg−1. The energy efficiency of the new batteries is claimed to be more than 87 percent, and as for the all-important factor of cost, the researchers claim this could add up to a sodium-ion battery that approaches lithium-ion batteries in terms of performance, but would cost less then 80 percent of a lithium-ion battery with equivalent storage capacity.

The next steps for the team is to fiddle with the phosphorus anode, which should squeeze more performance out of the sodium-ion battery. To properly compare their creation to lithium-ion batteries, the team also plans to examine the volumetric energy density of the device, which dictates how big a battery needs to be to store a certain amount of energy.

http://newatlas.com/sodium-ion-battery-cheaper-lithium/51682/