• 09 Oct, 2023
• WH Staff
• No comment

How Sodium-ion batteries are better than Lithium-ion batteries?

Sodium-ion batteries are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which are currently the most widely used type of rechargeable battery. Both types of batteries use a liquid electrolyte to store and transfer electrical energy, but differ in the type of ions they use. Sodium-ion batteries use sodium ions, while lithium-ion batteries use lithium ions. Here are some ways in which sodium-ion batteries are better than lithium-ion batteries:

1. Abundance: Sodium is more than 500 times more abundant than lithium, which is available in only a few countries. This makes sodium-ion batteries a more sustainable and cost-effective option.
2. Charging speed: Sodium-ion batteries charge faster than lithium-ion variants. This is because sodium ions are larger and can move more quickly through the electrolyte.
3. Longer lifespan: Sodium-ion batteries have a three times higher lifecycle than lithium-ion batteries. This means that they can be charged and discharged more times before they need to be replaced.
4. Lower environmental impact: Sodium-ion batteries do not require scarce and pricey elements such as cobalt and lithium, which are required by lithium-ion batteries. This makes them a more environmentally friendly option.
5. Lower cost: Because sodium is more abundant than lithium, sodium-ion batteries can be produced at a lower cost than lithium-ion batteries.

Despite these advantages, sodium ion battery manufacturing needs to overcome several challenges before it can be widely adopted as a replacement for lithium-ion batteries. Lack of a well-established supply chain for the materials used in the batteries is one of the major challenges. Since the technology is still in its infancy, very few companies operate in this segment, leading to higher cost of batteries. The technology to make sodium-ion batteries is still in the early stages of development. Sodium-ion based batteries have limitations of flexibility as they cannot be turned into various shapes like prismatic, cylindrical etc.

In conclusion, while sodium-ion batteries have several advantages over lithium-ion batteries such as abundance, charging speed, longer lifespan, lower environmental impact and lower cost; they still face several challenges that need to be overcome before they can be widely adopted as a replacement for lithium-ion batteries.