Researchers at Stanford have designed a sodium-based battery that is capable of storing the same amount of energy as present lithium-ion batteries but costing less than 80% of a lithium-ion battery. The new battery, which was developed by researchers from Stanford’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been tested in an experimental system for more than two years. Stanford researchers are basing their battery on a sodium-based electrode, which is $150 a tonne. With a sodium cathode, and phosphorous anode, the Stanford team improved how sodium and myo-inositol enable that electron flow between the two electrodes, significantly improving the efficiency of the battery.
Researchers at Stanford have designed a sodium-based battery that is capable of storing the same amount of energy as present lithium-ion batteries but costing less than 80% of a lithium-ion battery. Due to a lack of material abundance, lithium-ion batteries cost a significant amount of money to produce, with lithium costing roughly $15,000 a tonne to mine and refine. Stanford researchers are basing their battery on a sodium-based electrode, which is $150 a tonne. With a sodium cathode, and phosphorous anode, the Stanford team improved how sodium and myo-inositol enable that electron flow between the two electrodes, significantly improving the efficiency of the battery.