this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2024
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This seems like a pretty big deal, right?
Indeed, the fact that they filed a patent is also an indicator that this is not purely an experiment, but a tangible way forward. Let's hope this can scale up quickly.
it's not just another article about a new revolutionary discovery because that's the only way to have funds?
Eh, the patent office hasn't had standards for practically for like a century, just that you describe a novel method
There's a pile of battery patents that are all game-changing but when a company decides to make a dedicated factory that's when you know shit is going down.
Yup. Studies on sodium batteries has been going on for years. If they finally achieve good enough state this is big since lithium is limited and expensive while sodium is everywhere. However sodium batteries will never be effective as lithium batteries because of the atom size. Lithium is much smaller than sodium.
Well we are in dire need of grid size storage so this is excellent then.
True, but this is solid state so it may be higher density than current Lithium based batteries. But it might not beat a hypothetical lithium solid state battery. On the other hand, sodium batteries today beat out lithium in many other ways than capacity, and if those things are true for solid state then as long as there is a big enough jump in capacity due to the solid state transition then I think sodium is going to be the go-to for most uses in the future.
Don't actually know about density differences but I'm quite positive that sodium batteries will be used in many sectors because it will be much cheaper. Probably not on cars, maybe not on phones as well. It will be enough for all other small appliances I think.
Wait... did they do all three?
“Global action requires working together to access critically important materials,” Meng said.
So... nope.
Huh ?
What information are you trying to convey by quoting that sentence from the article?
If materials are not easy to access, then it won't scale cheaply.
You might want to re-read the article. That quote was talking about lithium ion batteries.
This scarcity, combined with the surge in demand for the lithium-ion batteries for laptops, phones and EVs, have sent prices skyrocketing, putting the needed batteries further out of reach.
Lithium deposits are also concentrated. The “Lithium Triangle” of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia holds more than 75% of the world’s lithium supply, with other deposits in Australia, North Carolina and Nevada. This benefits some nations over others in the decarbonization needed to fight climate change.
“Global action requires working together to access critically important materials,” Meng said.
Thanks for pointing this out better than I would have!
I know colonizer-speak when I see it.
I know everyone wants to point out that she may be referring to the brutal colonialist exploitation that lithium ion battery technology rests upon - but the way the quote is placed and framed tells me instead that we are not being told everything about this "techno-miracle."
But the materials are more easily accessible for sodium. It's just supposed to have less capacity by volume.
Edit: that portion of the article you mentioned is talking about lithium ion
Fuck
there should be 4th bubble "easy"
that's what fast is for.
Probably not fast. You would have to setup tooling and manufacturing and supply chain. That takes years.
Ah, these are the aluminum dust under pressure solid state batteries. I wonder how much pressure.
It does say "during assembly [...] to form a solid current collector while maintaining a liquid-like contact with the electrolyte".
After it's made it could be not under pressure at all.
I would think they'd need to keep the liquid like contact that's available under pressure.. But I'm no battery scientist.
Would be interested in seeing/reading more about it, don't have/want the subscription to read the white paper. Just seems like it could be somewhat like mirrors where it's important for the glass to be liquid at one point so there's no distortions and a strong bond but then once it's constructed it just sits there.
They have the pressure of reversing climate change so very high pressure
The decarbonization of our power grid will thankfully not be up to a single technology, but a multitude which are all seeing development simultaneously. Solar is reaching for better efficiency and less harmful creation, batteries of all shapes, sizes, and concepts are popping up from everywhere. It feels more like a race now than a slow decline into uninhabitability.
Any way to read the paper published without subscribing to nature?
Shirley Meng's showing off her lemon jacket and big watch drip. Power on.