New metal alloy electrode designed for plus-sized ions
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 08:06
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Storing energy from wind farms and releasing that electricity on demand requires high-capacity, low-cost batteries; sodium-ion batteries could be part of the answer now, thanks to fundamental insights garnered by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Instead of force-fitting larger sodium ions into the battery electrodes built for much smaller lithium ions, the research team designed an electrode based on the ion's character, not its circumference. The new electrode or anode is built from a tin and antimony alloy, with specially designed carbon support. This durable new material can store nearly twice as much energy as a carbon electrode in the popular lithium-ion battery.