Geelong research could deliver cheaper, safer batteries for everything from mobile phones to household storage.
Deakin University said the technology provided an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, plagued by problems such as explosions and environmental harm.
The sodium-ion insights were the work of Deakin’s Waurn Ponds-based Battery Technology Research and Innovation Hub, the university said.
The sodium-ion breakthrough promised to be “cheaper and safer” than lithium-ion.
“Sodium-ion batteries aren’t affected by the explosive problems plaguing lithium-ion, which caused massive recalls and bans of certain model phones on some airlines in 2016,” Deakin said.
“Sodium-ion batteries are also capable of charging and discharging at higher rates.”
Sodium-ion batteries could be made using readily-available materials without costly, environmentally-harmful and ethically-dubious mining for rare materials such as cobalt, said the hub’s director, Professor Maria Forsyth.
“Unlike lithium-ion batteries, the key components of sodium-ion batteries are synthesised from low-cost, abundant materials with secure supply chains,” Prof Forsyth said.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here because of the cost benefits and availability, and it can also be a drop-in technology for manufacturers currently using lithium-ion without the need for a complete re-tooling of their manufacturing process.”
Professor Forsyth said the commercial potential of sodium-ion battery research had aroused interest, “which was the next step in order to take the technology to consumers”.
“Given the significance of reliable and sustainable energy to the modern world, the development of energy storage solutions is critical. Batteries are an inseparable part of this, and as society continues to grow and evolve, so too must battery technologies,” she said.
“Sodium-ion batteries are proving to be an emergent technology with very attractive properties, particularly in future smart energy grids. The first generation versions are already on route for commercial use, so the future of sodium-ion battery research is very promising.”
Research into sodium-ion battery technology since the 1970s was never previously “optimised” after the development and spread of lithium-ion batteries, Deakin said.
The hub’s findings will appear in a special June edition of scientific journal Advanced Energy Materials.
