Energy News  
ENERGY TECH
An affordable and sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries
by Staff Writers
Troy NY (SPX) Aug 03, 2022

illustration only

Concerns regarding scarcity, high prices, and safety regarding the long-term use of lithium-ion batteries has prompted a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to propose a greener, more efficient, and less expensive energy storage alternative.

In research published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), corresponding author Nikhil Koratkar, the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer, and his team, assert that calcium ions could be used as an alternative to lithium-ions in batteries because of its abundance and low cost.

"The vast majority of rechargeable battery products are based on lithium-ion technology, which is the gold standard in terms of performance," said Dr. Koratkar. "However, the Achilles' heel for lithium-ion technology is cost. Lithium is a limited resource on the planet, and its price has increased drastically in recent years. We are working on an inexpensive, abundant, safe, and sustainable battery chemistry that uses calcium ions in an aqueous, water-based electrolyte."

While the larger size and higher charge density of calcium ions relative to lithium impairs diffusion kinetics and cyclic stability, Dr. Koratkar and his team offer oxide structures containing big open spaces (heptagonal and hexagonal channels) as a prospective solution. In their work, an aqueous calcium-ion battery is demonstrated using orthorhombic and trigonal polymorphs of molybdenum vanadium oxide (MoVO) as a host for calcium ions.

"The calcium ion is divalent, and hence one ion insertion will deliver two electrons per ion during battery operation," explains Dr. Koratkar. "This allows for a highly efficient battery with reduced mass and volume of calcium ions. However, the higher ionic charge and the larger size of calcium ions relative to lithium makes it very challenging to insert calcium ions into the battery electrodes. We overcome this problem by developing a special class of materials called molybdenum vanadium oxides that contain large hexagonal and heptagonal shaped channels or tunnels that run through the material."

The team demonstrated that calcium ions can be rapidly inserted and extracted from the material, with these tunnels acting as "conduits" for reversible and fast ion transport and the findings indicate that MoVO provides one of the best performances reported to date for the storage of calcium ions.

"Calcium-ion batteries might one day, in the not-so-distant future, replace lithium-ion technology as the battery chemistry of choice that powers our society," explains Dr. Koratkar. "This work can lead of a new class of high-performing calcium-based batteries that use Earth abundant and safe materials and are therefore affordable and sustainable. Such batteries could find widespread use in portable and consumer electronics, electric vehicles, as well as grid and renewable energy storage."

Research Report:Reversible and rapid calcium intercalation into molybdenum vanadium oxides


Related Links
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


ENERGY TECH
Longer lasting sodium-ion batteries on the horizon
Richland WA (SPX) Jul 14, 2022
Cheap and abundant, sodium is a prime promising candidate for new battery technology. But limited performance of sodium-ion batteries has hindered their large-scale applications. Now, a research team from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a sodium-ion battery with greatly extended longevity in laboratory tests. An ingenious shift in the ingredients that make up the liquid core of the battery prevents the performance issues that have bedeviled sodium-bas ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ENERGY TECH
Spain's air conditioning curbs come into force

Australia backs law to speed carbon emission cuts

Spanish PM calls on nation to go tie-less

Biden to announce new action on climate in major speech

ENERGY TECH
Surrey's prototype battery only needs seconds of sunlight to keep smart wearables charged

An affordable and sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries

Fusion simulation code developed to project fusion instabilities in TAE

IOP Publishing announce Nuclear Fusion will become fully Open Access

ENERGY TECH
A new method boosts wind farms' energy output, without new equipment

Modern wind turbines can more than compensate for decline in global wind resource

End-of-life plan needed for tens of thousands of wind turbine blades

Engineers develop cybersecurity tools to protect solar, wind power on the grid

ENERGY TECH
Cheaper, changing and crucial: the rise of solar power

Scientists fabricate high-performance large-area perovskite submodules for solar cells

Rocket Lab to supply solar power for US Space Force missile warning satellites

China scales up distributed PV units, expands rural use

ENERGY TECH
UN watchdog warns of 'grave' crisis amid violence near Ukraine nuclear plant

Framatome to deliver neutron instrumentation system solution at South Carolina nuclear plant

Russia planning to connect nuclear plant to Crimea: Ukrainian operator

UN Security Council to discuss Ukraine nuclear plant crisis

ENERGY TECH
Turning fish waste into quality carbon-based nanomaterial

Brazilian scientists reveal method of converting methane gas into liquid methanol

MSU researchers create method for breaking down plant materials for earth-friendly energy

Solar-powered chemistry uses CO2 and H2O to make feedstock for fuels, chemicals

ENERGY TECH
In Norway, old oil platforms get a second life

Scholz opens door to extend nuclear as Russia squeezes gas supply

BP profit triples to $9.3 bn on soaring energy prices

Iran slams 'destructive' US sanctions targeting oil trade

ENERGY TECH
US Senate adopts sweeping climate and health plan, in major victory for Biden

Millions hungry but drought overlooked as Kenya prepares to vote

US Senate to begin debating Biden's climate and health bill

France orders crisis task force over 'historic' drought









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.