Sodium is showing great potential in making batteries more sustainable for the future. The element lithium, commonly used in batteries, provides long-lasting and stable energy storage. Nonetheless, being a finite resource, researchers are on a quest for alternative materials. A team from McGill University has proposed using sodium to replace most of the lithium in batteries by leveraging the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan.
Replacing Lithium with Sodium for Sustainability
Using sodium, they aim to address the limitations posed by lithium. Unfortunately, sodium’s tendency to react with carbon dioxide and water vapor in the air has complicated this transition. Eric McCalla, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Chemistry, notes, “Water can actually go into the material, and convert it into a completely different structure, which is not a good battery material.”
To overcome these challenges, McCalla’s team tested the impact of 52 different elements on the stability of sodium-ion batteries. They used the HXMA beamline at the Canadian Light Source to gain detailed, localized information about the battery after use. This thorough examination allowed them to pinpoint which elements stabilized the Sodium-ion Battery.
Machine Learning Enhances Battery Research
Gathering and analyzing vast amounts of data is essential to understanding the effectiveness of these materials. McCalla’s team employed machine learning to manage this data. Machine learning decoupled the variables and accounted for countless interrelated factors, helping the team identify the most impactful materials.
“The machine can write a complicated function that takes all of the competing parameters into account,” says McCalla. This advanced method enabled the researchers to determine materials that effectively enhanced battery performance while identifying less impactful variables.
While sodium-ion batteries still have a long journey before potentially replacing Lithium-ion batteries in applications like Electric Vehicles, the current progress is promising. Researchers continue to make advancements, driven by the goal of utilizing more sustainable materials.
McCalla also states, “People have been working on lithium batteries for over 40 years, and they are very good. Using more sustainable materials is a critical goal, but the benchmark is high. We’ve made progress, and we’ll strive to improve these materials.”
Looking to the Future
Published in Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research, this study marks an essential step in the search for sustainable battery materials. As the research community delves deeper into sodium-ion technology, momentum is building towards creating efficient, sustainable batteries for future applications.
Sodium-ion batteries hold the promise of reducing our reliance on finite resources like lithium. Through interdisciplinary approaches, advanced technology such as machine learning, and dedicated research, the path towards more sustainable energy storage solutions becomes clearer.
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