[LUM#19] Breaking away from lithium

[LUM Magazine, Podcast] - Published on September 29, 2023 in University

Lightweight, autonomous, durable, clean, and made in Europe. There are many areas of research in the highly sought-after battery sector, which is a key part of the ecological transition. Research conducted at the Charles Gerhardt Institute in Montpellier¹ has positioned the laboratory well in this race for batteries.

What do a phone, a car, an MP3 player, and a bicycle have in common? All of these objects, which have become indispensable, and many others, run on batteries. And the essential energy contained in these little black boxes is primarily chemistry. "In a battery, there is a positive electrode and a negative electrode between which ions circulate. It is the electrons linked to these ionic exchanges that provide the energy, " explains Laure Monconduit.

And the ion in question is most commonly lithium. "Small, mobile, and light, it is the ideal element for this use, " says the head of the Batteries team at ICGM. The lithium-ion battery has been a real revolution, to the point that its designers were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. But the revolution is now facing a major challenge: the challenge of materials. Some are already pointing to the shortage of lithium that could threaten in a few decades.

Recycling

How can we break free from lithium dependency in the battery sector? "At ICGM, several researchers are combining their expertise to advance battery recycling. This process not only reduces demand by enabling these metals to be recovered and reused, but also reduces the significant pollution caused by these elements, whose energy- and water-intensive extraction represents an environmental and humanitarian disaster, " explains the researcher.

While the virtuous circle of recycling is "feasible," the researcher and her team are also working on other avenues for developing batteries. "One of the questions at stake is whether lithium can be replaced by other ions. Other elements, neighboring lithium in the periodic table, have similar properties and can replace lithium without significantly degrading performance. Potential candidates include potassium, magnesium, and calcium. But above all, sodium, an element a thousand times more abundant than lithium in the Earth's crust. "Our team has also participated in research to develop the first sodium-ion batteries, which are now almost in production," says Laure Monconduit.

Energy independence

This issue goes beyond the technological challenge, at a time when energy independence is a major concern. Although the recent discovery of a lithium deposit in the Massif Central offers the prospect of a local supply in the future, most of this mineral still comes from the main producing countries, namely Australia, Chile, China, and Argentina. "Beyond the issue of materials, we are completely dependent on Asia, which has a virtual monopoly on battery manufacturing. We have very few batteries made in France or even made in Europe, even though we are at the forefront of research, " laments Laure Monconduit.

A veritable race for batteries is underway around the world, and this research is particularly strategic in the context of energy transition, "because the challenge now is to store energy cleanly, without resorting to fossil fuels, which will contribute to the fight against global warming, alongside a collective and, above all, political awareness, " concludes the researcher.

1. ICGM (CNRS, UM, ENSCM)
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Keywords: Chemistry, Energy, LUM#19, LumLu, LUM Magazine, Research