Altris is committed to a sodium ion battery factory in Sweden
The sodium ion battery has been the subject of intensive scientific research for several years, mainly because sodium is one of the most common elements in the world (it is the main ingredient in table salt), while lithium, although not rare, is much more difficult to buy in commercial quantities. . The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of the acceptance of sodium ion batteries in industry is that they have a lower energy density than lithium-based batteries.
But the dominance of lithium batteries is currently under threat. The cost of lithium has increased by 700% since the beginning of this year, forcing battery and car manufacturers to consider alternatives that were not previously feasible. CATL announced last year that it has created a sodium ion battery with an energy density of 160 wH / kg and expects to increase it to 200 wHkg by 2023. It has already started manufacturing its first generation sodium ion battery cells.
Altris is a Swedish company that is also deeply involved in the manufacture of sodium ion batteries. According to Chemical and technical news, will build its first commercial facility at Sandvik Materials Technology’s facility in Sandviken, Sweden. Altris plans to begin construction of the plant in the coming weeks and open it in early 2023. The plant will have an initial capacity of 2,000 tons per year of its Ferrum cathode material, which contains sodium, iron, carbon and nitrogen compounds.
On its website, the company says that its research focuses on the development of electrodes that consist entirely of very abundant and safe materials. A pilot production line is already in operation and shows the possibility of implementing sodium cathode technology as a “drop-in” replacement for conventional cathodes. This is important because it means that no major changes in the manufacturing process are required.
The company calls its iron- and sodium-based electrode material Fennac, which is easily produced in large quantities via a low-energy process. “Fennac is a Prussian White powder with a high sodium content which is a cathode material for the next generation of environmentally friendly sodium ion batteries. The composition is NaxFe[Fe(CN)6] with x> 1.9 “, says the company. “This material is ideal as a performance positive electrode in sodium ion batteries and can be paired with anode materials that do not contain sodium. Ideal storage is under inert conditions to maintain quality in the long run. Nominal voltage 3.25 V on average, capacity ~ 160 mAh g- 1. ”
The competitive energy density makes the material suitable for sodium ion batteries used for stationary energy storage, to support the power grid and other applications where a low-cost alternative is attractive.
Sodium batteries are not yet ready for use in electric vehicles, but hang on. The last chapter has not been written. Battery technology is today where videotape recordings were made in the 1980s. First it was Betamax, then VHS, then Blu-ray, then CDs and now everything is done online. Today’s internal combustion engine is a jewel of engineering, but it has been under development for over a century. You can expect most of the bugs to be fixed by now. (Older readers may remember when a gasoline-powered car was considered ready for the scrap heap after 50,000 miles.)
Are sodium ion batteries the next new thing? If the prices of lithium, nickel and cobalt remain in the stratosphere, they may well be. In the end, safe, low-cost battery storage in electricity networks for renewable energy is probably more important in the fight against climate change inspired by fossil fuels than building electric cars. Pass the salt, thank you!
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