[LUM#3] A battery that doesn't lack salt
French researchers have developed an innovative prototype battery that runs on sodium. A revolution is on the horizon in the expanding world of batteries...
If your laptop starts up smoothly and wirelessly every morning, it's thanks to this metal cylinder measuring 1.8 cm in diameter and 6.5 cm in height. Its dimensions have earned it the nickname 18650, a standard battery format. Except that this little cylinder is special, even revolutionary... Its secret? "It's a battery that uses sodium ions,"explains Laure Monconduit, a researcher at the Charles Gerhardt laboratory.
Currently, batteries on the market are made with lithium. The problem is that lithium, which is found in a few countries such as Colombia, Chile, and China, could become scarce. To avoid a potential shortage, a replacement had to be found. For several years now, this has been the focus of an open competition involving scientists from around the world.
“Sodium was the ideal candidate, ”emphasizes Laure Monconduit. “This close cousin of lithium has equivalent chemical properties and is a thousand times more abundant on the planet’s surface.” It is found in particular in the form of sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt. Much cheaper than lithium, it would enable batteries to be produced at a lower cost.
Sodium vs. lithium
After several months of intensive research, a group of French researchers has succeeded in developing a prototype sodium battery in the well-known 18650 industrial standard format. "With an energy density of 90 Wh/kg, its performance is still slightly inferior to that of lithium batteries, but it is set to improve," the researcher points out.
Sodium batteries are already attracting manufacturers. "With their low cost, they are a very good candidate for use in electric cars," says Laure Monconduit. In the future, they could also be used to store renewable energy. The commercial prospects are immense in a booming market that is expected to double in size in the coming years.
To go further:
- Read also: Breaking away from lithium
- Listen to the episode “A l’UM la science” (Science at UM)From the secrets of batteries to the geochemistry platform with Marie-Liesse Doublet from ICGM
The energy of a network
“French researchers are very successful in the field of batteries, they file a lot of patents, but unfortunately very few of them lead to industrial innovations,” notes Laure Monconduit. How can we help scientists turn their research into commercial success? By bringing research laboratories, public institutions, and manufacturers closer together. This is the challenge taken up by the RS2E network, created in 2010."This is the first time that all these specialists have worked together in this way," says Laure Monconduit. It's a winning synergy that has resulted in the prototype sodium battery, developed at the CEA in less than six months.
The RS2E brings together 17 CNRS/university research units, 14 industrial partners, and three public institutions (CEA, IFPEN, and INERIS).
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