New long-lasting NaS battery is made with lavender oil
There's intensive research into sodium-sulfur batteries, and we have already reported on this noteworthy technology multiple times. While their projected energy density is slightly lower compared to lithium-ion batteries, other advantages outweigh this minor caveat.
Replacing lithium and cobalt with sodium and sulfur would decrease production costs of batteries significantly. These two components are widely available and wouldn’t be in short supply even if this technology would be used on a large economic scale. This is a stark contrast to cobalt, which is a rare material that our planet will eventually run out of.
However, the highly reactive sulfur, which is a key component of particularly corrosive acids, poses a challenge. After just a few hundred charging cycles, or sometimes even less, these battery cells fail due to a short circuit.
A familiar fragrance could solve the problem
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces are currently tackling this issue with a solid construction made of linalool and sulfur. In this case, the sulfur ions are held in place while the sodium ions can pass through the mesh, which is about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair according to the study.
This allows an exchange of electrons without altering or damaging the structure of the cell. Another advantage — linalool is a well-known fragrance that is widely used in cosmetics and is cultivated on a large scale in the form of lavender.
Thus, the new NaS battery is largely made of inexpensive and readily available substances. And its performance is already formidable. After 1,000 charging cycles, it had a remaining capacity of 87% relative to the original value. The 80% threshold was reached after 1,500 cycles, which would mark the end of the battery's life cycle.
Moreover, the cell voltage of about 1.0 volts and the energy density of around 500 watt-hours per kilogram are also impressive. It remains to be seen whether the large-scale production of this battery would be sustainable. In any case, this could be an exciting new battery technology for EV makers and enthusiasts, as well as for lavender farmers.
