SODIUM ION BATTERY

 

Sodium ion(Na-ion) battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses sodium ions as the charge carrier.

There are several types of sodium ion battery and they are; sodium cobalt oxide (NaCoO2), sodium iron phosphate (NaFePo4), sodium manganese oxide (NaMnO2) and sodium nickel manganese oxide (NaNiMnO2) batteries.

Sodium cobalt oxide batteries use cobalt oxide as the cathode material.

Sodium iron phosphate batteries uses iron phosphate as the cathode material.

Sodium manganese oxide batteries use manganese oxide as the cathode material.

Sodium nickel manganese oxide batteries uses nickel manganese oxide as the cathode material.

Sodium ion batteries operate at a voltage range of 2.5-3.8V with a nominal voltage of 3.0-3.2V. Sodium ion batteries have a lower capacity than Li ion batteries typically ranging from 0.5-5Ah with energy densities of 50-150Wh/kg. Sodium ion batteries have a long cycle life typically ranging from 500-2000 cycles with capacity retention of 80%-90% after 1000cycles.

The components of sodium ion batteries are as follows; cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator, current collectors and cell casing.

The cathode is typically made of sodium metal oxide such as sodium cobalt oxide (NaCoO2) or sodium iron phosphate (NaFePo4).

The anode is typically made of hard carbon  a form of carbon that is more disordered than graphite.

The electrolyte is a sodium salt dissolved in an organic solvent such as ethylene carbonate or diethyl carbonate.

The separator is a thin porous membrane that separates the cathode and anode preventing electrical shorts.

The current collectors are thin layers of metals typically aluminum or copper that collects electrons from the cathode and anode.

The cell casing is a metal or plastic container that houses the battery internal components.

The advantages of sodium ion batteries are as follows; sodium is abundant and inexpensive making sodium ion batteries potentially more cost effective than lithium ion batteries. Sodium ion batteries have similar chemistry to lithium ion batteries making them compatible with existing lithium ion battery manufacturing infrastructure. Sodium ion batteries are considered to be safer than lithium ion batteries with lower risk of thermal runaway. Sodium ion batteries have a long cycle life making them suitable for applications that require frequent charging and discharging.

The disadvantages of sodium ion batteries are as follows; sodium ion batteries have a lower energy density than lithium ion batteries making them less suitable for applications that require high energy storage. Sodium ion batteries are still in early stages of development with limited commercial availability. Sodium ion batteries have a lower charging speed than lithium ion batteries making them less suitable for applications that require fast charging. The cathode material used in sodium ion batteries is still being developed with limited options available.

Sodium ion batteries find applications in the following; sodium batteries are being developed for grid scale energy storage applications such as storing energy generated by renewable sources. Sodium ion batteries are being developed for electrical vehicles applications potentially offering a more cost effective alternative to lithium ion batteries. Sodium ion batteries are being developed for consumer electronics applications such as smart phones and laptops. Sodium ion batteries are being developed for various industrial applications such as backup power systems and telecommunications.

The future of sodium ion batteries is predicated on the advances and deployment of the following technologies; sodium ion batteries are expected to be commercialized in the near future. Advances in sodium ion battery technology will improve the performance such as increasing their energy density and charging speed. Also sodium ion batteries are expected to offer a more sustainable alternative to lithium ion batteries with abundant resources and reduced environmental impact. Sodium ion batteries are expected to compete with lithium ion batteries in various applications in the future thereby, potentially offering a more cost effective and sustainable alternative.

 

SOURCES:

• Sodium ion batteries: Energy storage materials and technologies edited by Yan Yu, Feng Li and Jun Chen.
• Sodium ion batteries: material technologies and applications edited by Maria Palacin, Rosa Younesi and Alexander Ponrouch.
• Sodium ion batteries: theory, materials and applications by Yongjie Zhao, Siqishi and Chunwen Sun.
• Sodium ion batteries: Recent advances and prospects by J. Liu et al.
• Advances in sodium ion batteries: Materials and technologies edited by C. Sun et al.