Which companies are developing sodium batteries？lithium batteries may be replaced
Introduction of sodium battery
Sodium-ion battery is a secondary battery (rechargeable battery) that mainly relies on the movement of sodium ions between the positive and negative electrodes to work, similar to the working principle of lithium-ion batteries.
Consistent with the internal structure of lithium-ion batteries, sodium ions replace lithium ions. Like lithium batteries, sodium batteries are mainly composed of positive electrodes, negative electrodes, current collectors, electrolytes, and separators.
Due to the relatively large radius of sodium ions, the cathode and anode materials are preferentially selected with a regular layered structure, and the design of the interlayer spacing is a key parameter for the performance of sodium batteries.
Sodium battery type
Sodium sulfur battery
A sodium-sulfur battery is a high-temperature secondary battery based on a solid electrolyte. It uses sodium as the anode and sulfur infiltrated into the carbon felt as the cathode. A β”-alumina ceramic that conducts sodium ions acts as both a separator and an electrolyte in the middle.
The advantages of sodium-sulfur batteries are obvious. In addition to low cost and environmental friendliness, they also have high energy density and high charge-discharge efficiency. Theoretically, the energy density of sodium-sulfur batteries can reach up to 760 Wh/kg, but currently it can only achieve 150-240 Wh/kg.
Sodium salt battery
Sodium-salt battery is a kind of high-temperature sodium battery. It is a product with stable properties, high safety, long service life, wide application range, easy-to-obtain and non-toxic raw materials, and simple and pollution-free waste recycling process.
Sodium-salt batteries are mainly used in the fields of power grid energy storage, communication base stations and power supply. With the application advantages of sodium-salt batteries, it can effectively adjust the time difference between electricity consumption and power generation in the renewable energy power generation system, and improve the utilization rate of power generation equipment.
Sodium air battery
The sodium-air battery belongs to the metal-air battery system, and the whole battery is driven by the reaction of alkali metal ions and oxygen on the air electrode to produce alkali metal oxides. The positive electrode is usually made of porous carbon material or porous metal material.
It not only provides a channel for the transmission of oxygen, but also provides a reaction site for the reduction of oxygen and the combination with alkali metal ions to generate alkali metal oxides. The alkali metal oxides generated during the discharge process will continuously fill the voids of these porous materials, and the discharge reaction will not be terminated until the voids are completely filled.
Organic sodium ion battery
The composition of sodium-ion battery is the same as that of lithium-ion battery, including positive electrode, negative electrode, separator and electrolyte. “Na-ion battery does not use sodium as the negative electrode, and the negative electrode is composed of hard carbon or sodium intercalable material. The negative electrode is the most troublesome in sodium-ion batteries. part one,
In fact, the graphite materials used in lithium-ion batteries do not work at all in sodium-ion batteries. During the discharge process, the anode is oxidized and sodium ions are released into the electrolyte, and at the same time, the sodium ions are intercalated into the cathode material and the cathode is reduced.
Aqueous sodium ion battery
Due to the high cost, complex production, and safety problems of organic electrolyte batteries, they face a bottleneck in large-scale energy storage. Compared with organic electrolytes, aqueous electrolytes have faster ion transport rates, are cheaper, safer, easier to manufacture and can use thicker electrodes,
The only disadvantage is that water has a narrow operating voltage window. “Using aqueous electrolytes is the most effective way to reduce the cost of Na-ion batteries, which has caused more and more research to be transferred to the research of Na-ion batteries in aqueous batteries.
Who is making sodium batteries
CATL
On July 29, 2021, CATL released the first-generation sodium-ion battery at its online press conference, and carried out a battery energy innovation based on the innovation of the lithium-sodium mashup battery pack structure, and applied the actual battery to the real vehicle. Changed the perception that sodium-ion batteries are not suitable for use in cars. Chairman Zeng Yuqun clearly stated the company’s short-term goals and will make efforts in three directions:
One is to replace traditional fossil energy with emerging renewable energy, and corresponding improvements have been made on the grid side, user side and power generation side, and key improvements have been made in electrochemical energy storage;
The second is to apply power batteries to the innovative research and development of electric vehicles. We will continue to improve battery performance and accelerate the full electrification of transportation;
The third is to make an innovation through the integration of electrification and intelligence to speed up the process of new energy replacement in various fields.
At the same time, the relevant data of the sodium-ion battery was introduced through PPT at the press conference. The energy density of the single cell of the sodium-ion battery can reach 160mAh/g. To fully charge 80% of the battery power, it only needs to be charged at room temperature. 15min is enough,
Even in an environment as low as minus 20°C, the sodium-ion battery can still maintain a discharge retention rate of more than 90%, the system integration efficiency can reach 80%, and its thermal stability far exceeds the national mandatory safety standards. In general, sodium-ion batteries charge faster, and have better low temperature and high temperature stability.
On January 13, 2022, a reporter from the Financial Associated Press learned from relevant channels that CATL has deployed “no negative electrode” metal battery technology and applied for a patent.
HINA battery
On December 18, Zhongke Hai Na reached a cooperation with Three Gorges Energy, Three Gorges Capital and the People’s Government of Fuyang City, Anhui Province to jointly build the world’s first large-scale mass production line of sodium-ion batteries.
The production line has a planned production capacity of 5GWh and will be constructed in two phases. The first phase of 1GWh will be officially put into production in 2022.
This cooperation relies on Zhongke Haina’s world-leading technology in the field of sodium-ion batteries and application accumulation in the energy storage battery industry, and relies on the location of Fuyang, an inter-provincial regional central city, emerging manufacturing and new energy industries.
Leveraging the Three Gorges Group’s ability to lead the clean energy industry, industrial synergy, and drive technological innovation, all parties have joined forces, marking the entry of a new stage in the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries and the opening of a new chapter.
Zoolnasm
Founded in January 2021, Zoolnasm Energy is one of the earliest hard technology companies in China to promote the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries, and the creator of the world’s first sodium iron sulfate battery.
The company relies on a team of joint scientists from 6 domestic double first-class universities including Soochow University, Nanjing University, Xiamen University, Fuzhou University, Zhejiang University and the Institute of Nanotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The electrochemical material system and process route have been deeply researched, and monomer sodium ion batteries with obvious price and performance advantages have been successfully prepared.
The test results of third-party institutions and customers show that the battery has excellent safety and high and low temperature performance, as well as high energy density and cycle life. It is used in hundreds of billions of applications such as energy storage facilities, new energy vehicles and low-speed power tools. In the scene, there is an extremely considerable market potential.
Sunwoda
Sunwoda was founded in 1997, and its main business is the research and development, design, production and sales of lithium battery cells and modules. After more than 20 years, the company has developed into a global leader in the field of lithium-ion batteries.
It has formed six industrial groups of 3C consumer batteries, intelligent hardware, electric vehicle batteries, energy storage systems and energy Internet, intelligent manufacturing and industrial Internet, and third-party testing services, and is committed to providing the society with more green, fast and efficient solutions. New energy integrated solutions.
At present, the company has a number of patents, such as the method of replenishing sodium for sodium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries and their preparation methods.
Penghui Energy
On October 14, 2021, Penghui Energy issued an announcement that in order to seize the development opportunities of sodium-ion batteries and actively lay out the industrial chain of sodium-ion battery materials (hard carbon anode materials), the company signed a contract with Chengdu Best Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and its original shareholders. an investment agreement.
Thornton
Thornton New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is invested by Sand Group, a leading enterprise in environmental protection in China, and is a comprehensive service provider specializing in providing R&D and production solutions for lithium battery energy. Committed to the research and production of lithium battery energy such as key materials, battery systems, basic technology research and development, and power battery innovation platforms.
Dynavolt
The main business of Dynavolt New Energy Technology (Henan) Co., Ltd. is the research and development, production and sales of various lead-acid battery products, clean energy power engineering business, and new energy applications. The company’s main products are energy storage products, clean energy power engineering, lead, lithium battery products, and automotive related products. The company has been deeply involved in the battery industry for more than 30 years and is a leading enterprise in the export of starter batteries in China.
ST Mengshi once said that the company has cooperated with customers and has completed the delivery of small batches of 18650 cylindrical sodium-ion batteries.
Great Wall
The main businesses of China Great Wall Technology Group Co., Ltd. include: high-tech electronics, network security and informatization, power supply, park and property services and other businesses.
The subsidiary company started the layout of the sodium-ion battery industry in 2016. At present, it has made breakthroughs in key technologies such as the synthesis and processing technology of cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries, and the manufacturing process technology of sodium-ion batteries, and has obtained 4 invention patents.
Wuhan Zhongyuan Changjiang Technology Development Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in lithium primary batteries, lithium secondary batteries, capacitor batteries, 1520 capacitors, IoT batteries, sun and moon batteries, 3.6V lithium batteries, sensor batteries, ER14250, water meter batteries, gas meter batteries, lithium Research and development, production and sales of sub-battery, lithium iron phosphate battery, ternary lithium battery, primary lithium battery and other cells, modules and systems.
Products are widely used in the Internet of Things (intelligent instrumentation, ETC, OBU module, intelligent parking, intelligent fire protection, intelligent agriculture, intelligent city, data transmission system), high-tech electronics (underwater vehicle, emergency starting power supply, field portable training power supply, Communication power supply, individual power supply, airborne battery), special power (electric boat, electric vehicle) and “new infrastructure” energy storage (5G, UHV, big data center) and other fields.
Poweroak
Shenzhen Poweroaki Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2013, focusing on the research and innovation of distributed energy storage products and microgrid technology, mastering the international advanced new energy energy storage technology and complete energy storage battery application solutions, in photovoltaic energy storage Integration, off-grid bidirectional inverter, energy Internet management system, etc., are in a leading position in the world.
At the CES2022 conference on January 5, the world’s leading solar products manufacturer Bluetti has developed the world’s first sodium-ion battery home photovoltaic energy storage product NA300.
AM power
Zhejiang Anli Energy Co., Ltd. is a joint venture company jointly established by Chaowei Group and General Electric Company of the United States with complementary advantages. The registered capital of the company is 35 million US dollars.
The business scope mainly involves the production, research and development and sales of sodium-nickel chloride batteries (sodium-salt batteries for short), technology development and consultation in the field of sodium-salt batteries, and energy storage system development and design.
Zhejiang Anli’s sodium-nickel battery system is like this, the negative electrode is metal sodium, and the positive electrode is nickel chloride. The first electrolyte is β” alumina, and the other electrolyte is an inorganic salt, sodium tetrachloroaluminate. The working temperature is about 250 to 350 degrees,
The reference of the battery voltage is about 1.8 to 3.4 volts, the OCV open circuit voltage is 2.58V, and the battery is in the case of 250 to 350 degrees, the sodium ions migrate back and forth through the solid electrolyte diaphragm, realizing the gain and loss of the battery, and finally realizing the charge and discharge, which is The mechanism of the battery.
SVOLT
SVOLT Energy is an electric battery research and development manufacturer, focusing on the development and sales of lithium-ion power batteries and their cathode materials, energy storage batteries, etc., providing users with new energy vehicle charging piles, battery utilization and recycling and other product solutions.
Aowei
Founded in 1998, Haowei Technology Development Co., Ltd. is headquartered in the national high-tech park – Shanghai Zhangjiang High-tech Park, specializing in the development, production and sales of electric double-layer capacitors and supercapacitors. It has a total of 160 employees, and more than 30% are highly educated technicians.
Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Co., Ltd. has been working on the research and development of sodium-ion capacitors, which is also an important part of the forward-looking research and development of Aowei Technology’s 2021 plan.
Benan
Founded in 2017, Ben’an Energy is a high-tech multinational enterprise engaged in the research and development, production and manufacture of inorganic (aqueous) sodium salt batteries, and providing solutions for inorganic (aqueous) sodium salt batteries energy storage system. Ben’an Energy is headquartered in Singapore, and has global R&D centers in China and the United States to develop materials, cells and structures for inorganic (aqueous) sodium-salt batteries.
The company currently has regional companies in China, the United States and Australia, responsible for the production and manufacturing of battery materials and regional market business. Ben’an Energy is also willing to provide product management and OEM manufacturing support centered on battery applications for partners in the global sodium-salt battery industry chain.
Jabil
Jabil Electronics (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary established in Wuxi Export Processing Zone (J9, J10, Export Processing Zone, No. 287 Gaolang Road) by American Jabil Electronics Corporation with a total investment of US$165 million on September 9, 2004. , is currently in the preparatory stage, and the number of people is expected to reach about 10,000. Its parent company, Jabil Electronics, is located in Florida, USA (there are 44 branches in the world and 45,000 employees).
Jabil is a world-renowned electronic design and manufacturing service provider and ranks among the top 50 EMS manufacturing companies in the world. Over the years, Jabil has been committed to the design and development of electronic products in the spirit of continuous reform and innovation, and with its advanced production Technical background and production management concept, providing processing and development services for electronic circuit board components and systems for many well-known electronic companies around the world.
The new energy storage battery project of Jabil Electronics (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. was officially signed on September 10, 2021, and trial production will begin in November 2021. The project is the first cooperation between the company and Ben’an Energy, a new energy innovation technology enterprise. It mainly produces inorganic (aqueous) sodium-salt batteries. This battery product has the characteristics of safety and environmental protection, and is a unique new energy storage technology in the market.
Changhong
Sichuan Changhong New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sichuan Changhong Holding Group. Enterprise, vice chairman unit of China Battery Industry Association, and listed enterprise on the selected layer of the New Third Board.
Changhong New Energy is committed to becoming a professional environmentally friendly battery provider, promoting the use of clean energy around the world, and becoming a world-class battery company with the mission of “smart manufacturing, technological innovation, and benefiting mankind”.
At the end of 2021, Changhong New Energy Materials Laboratory announced that the laboratory and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China jointly developed a major technological breakthrough in the field of sodium-ion batteries. magnification. This brings great good news to the transformation of new energy.
Hadron
Liaoning Hadron Battery Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Liaoning Hongcheng Group. It is a high-tech company integrating R&D of sodium-ion battery materials and battery production and manufacturing. It was established in January 2018. The company takes sodium-ion energy storage and smart micro-grid technology as the core to drive the power
It has established a power storage research institute composed of 5 top academicians in the field of materials at home and abroad, 9 outstanding doctoral supervisors, and 50 elite doctoral teams. The research and development capabilities of sodium-ion batteries are at the world’s leading level.
At present, it has obtained 17 invention patents in the field of power grid applications, 13 utility model patents, 22 software copyrights, 15 international patents centered on sodium ion materials, and 40 domestic invention patents. At present, sodium ion batteries have been mass-produced. reach the level of commercial application.
Xiangying
Jiangsu Xiangying New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. was established in June 2016 and is located in Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park, Liyang City, Jiangsu Province. The company’s current registered capital is 100 million yuan, and the total project investment is 500 million yuan. The major shareholder of the company is Suzhou Jiangnan Jiajie Elevator Co., Ltd.
Xinyang Clean
Shanxi Xinyang Clean Energy Co., Ltd. was established on May 31, 2012. Its registered office is located in Room 505, China Nagu, No. 2, Taobei West Street, Mining District, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province. Its legal representative is Yanchunming.
The business scope includes power business: solar power generation business; power supply: power distribution business, power sales business; construction engineering: construction, design; photovoltaic equipment and components, battery manufacturing; flywheel energy storage technology and product research and development, production, sales, Promotion and Service
Sacred Sun
Shandong Sacred Sun Power Co., Ltd. (Sacred Sun for short, stock code: 002580) is a high-tech enterprise. Founded in 1991, it was listed on the small and medium-sized board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in May 2011. The company specializes in the design, development and operation of system solutions such as communication backup power supply, power backup power supply, new energy power supply, power supply, and new energy system integration. It is an internationally renowned and domestic green energy manufacturer.
The high environmental protection and high cycle sodium ion battery jointly developed by Sacred Sun and the academician workstation has passed the experimental stage and entered the sample test. At present, the test results meet the expected goals and the effect is good.
Tafel
Tafel New Energy Technology, established in 2014, is an innovative high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development, production and sales of new energy lithium-ion power batteries and energy storage batteries. The company has production bases and branches (subsidiaries) in Nanjing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hunan, Beijing, Taiwan and other places. Tafel is committed to providing efficient solutions for the global lithium-ion power and energy storage battery field through continuous improvement of advanced battery technology.
The company’s current patent layout related to sodium batteries.
Enneiji
Hubei Ennaiji Technology Co., Ltd. was established on March 17, 2017. Its registered office is located in the east of Guanggu 2nd Road, Donghu New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan City, and the south of Gaoxin 5th Road. Dingjie Modern Electromechanical Information Incubation Park Phase 1, Building 14 No. 1 on the 3rd floor, the legal representative is Li Zheng.
Hubei Enneiji is one of the earliest domestic R&D enterprises for sodium ion battery cathode materials and battery technology, and it is also the earliest domestic enterprise capable of mass production of sodium ion cathode materials. The performance of the sodium vanadium phosphate cathode material produced by the company is stable and reliable
It has established cooperative relations with several large and medium-sized battery companies at home and abroad, as well as nearly 100 universities and research institutes, and the product performance has been fully affirmed by the market. The company will make unremitting efforts to build the most advanced and first-class sodium ion electrode material enterprise in China.
Trina
Trina Energy Storage is a global energy storage integrated product and system solutions provider under Trina Solar (stock code: 688599). Trina Energy Storage is always guided by customer needs and driven by technological innovation. Relying on leading independent innovation capabilities and rich R&D experience, Trina Energy provides customers with comprehensive services including demand analysis, solution design, system integration, installation and commissioning, acceptance and delivery, etc. Life cycle complete system solution services and efficient and reliable energy storage system products and services.
Arhora
Since 2014, the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences has carried out the promotion of the industrialization of sodium-nickel batteries on the basis of the previous research and development of sodium-sulfur batteries and sodium-nickel batteries. In 2017, Shanghai Institute of Silicate, Chinese Academy of Sciences participated in the establishment of Shanghai Aoneng Ruila Energy Technology Co., Ltd. to carry out industrial development of sodium-nickel batteries.
On December 2, the 2GWh sodium-salt battery energy storage integration project was signed and landed in Yinchuan, Ningxia. The sodium-salt battery energy storage integration project is located in Suyin Industrial Park, with a planned total investment of 2 billion yuan and a total area of 200 mu. After all the projects are put into operation, the estimated annual output value is 5 billion yuan and the annual tax payment is 500 million yuan. Compared with the traditional lead-acid battery, the sodium-salt battery project signed this time has the advantages of long cycle life, low overall cost and leading technology.
It is understood that the sodium-salt battery energy storage project is jointly signed by the Yinchuan Municipal Government, Shanghai Aoneng Ruila Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Bona Equity Investment Fund Co., Ltd. The implementation and construction of this project will bring no less than The 2GW wind-solar-storage integrated base project, as well as the advantageous green and sustainable industries other than equipment manufacturing, are of great significance for accelerating industrial transformation and upgrading and promoting high-quality economic development.
Sodium battery may alternative lithium battery
The US “Science Daily” website published an article on February 10 entitled “New Electrolyte for Making Greener and Safer Batteries”. The article believes that sodium batteries may be an alternative to lithium batteries. The full text is excerpted as follows:
The future of battery technology lies in sodium. Sodium is more sustainable than lithium, which currently powers most devices and vehicles, and is abundant on Earth’s surface. The only problem is that its ions cannot move easily in the liquid electrolyte of conventional batteries, making it less efficient than lithium. Therefore, the solution lies in the development of solid electrolytes.
A scientific team from the University of Geneva has successfully tackled this challenge by modifying the crystal structure of a material composed of carbon, boron and hydrogen. The research team also determined the ideal pressure to apply to the battery to allow it to operate efficiently. The findings can be read in the American Chemical Society’s Applied Materials and Interfaces, as well as in the journal Advanced Materials Interactions.
Lithium-ion batteries, introduced to the market in the early 1990s, now power most electronic devices and electric vehicles. However, they suffer from two major drawbacks. The liquid electrolyte they contain — which allows positive ions to flow between the battery’s two electrodes — is highly flammable.
In the event of a leak, it can react violently with oxygen, presenting a significant hazard to the user. There are also problems with the supply of lithium. Lithium is unevenly distributed globally. Like oil, it sits at the heart of major geopolitical issues.An alternative battery is the sodium battery. This chemical element is abundant on land and in the ocean, and it is cheaper than lithium. It’s also easier to recycle. However, it is not used much.
“The technology used to produce this battery is different from that used for lithium batteries. The industry is not yet reluctant to adopt this less familiar technology,” said Fabrizio Murgia, a researcher at the Crystallography Laboratory at the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Science.
Since sodium is heavier than lithium, its ions are also less mobile in liquid electrolytes. The solution is to design a nonflammable solid electrolyte. However, the electrolytes that have been developed so far – made of boron and hydrogen – have not been able to achieve the performance of lithium batteries. Two recent studies carried out by the Crystallography Laboratory of the University of Geneva – led by Professor Radovan Cerny – have successfully addressed related questions.
The first study was published in the American Chemical Society’s Applied Materials and Interfaces. The researchers developed a highly efficient material: NaCB11H12. “Originally, the material used in nuclear medicine was non-conductive,” Cerny explained.
By changing its crystal structure, or more precisely the spatial arrangement of its atoms, we succeeded in making it conductive, making it the most efficient means of transporting sodium ions currently. “To achieve this result, the research team subjected the compound to high-energy shocks inside a ball mill, which generates high temperatures. This is an energy-efficient method widely used in the cement industry.
The second study was published in the journal Advanced Materials Interactions. The research project involved placing the material in a working environment. For a battery to work, the electrolyte, whether liquid or solid, must be in close contact with the positive and negative electrodes of the battery. Therefore, it must be tightly controlled within the battery.
Matteo Brighi, a former postdoctoral researcher in the crystallography laboratory, explained: “To achieve this, pressure must be applied via screws or springs. We searched for the ideal ‘force’ to act on our solid electrolyte. “Research suggests that this should be about 400 atmospheres, which is equivalent to the pressure at 4,000 meters underwater. This pressure is easily achieved with a few turns of the screw.
These findings clear the way for easier production of sodium batteries, especially in the automotive industry. “Because these batteries are slightly heavier, they can be used primarily to power cars,” Murja said. “The cost-effectiveness of making them has yet to be assessed, but it is now important for the industry to recognize that the material we have discovered has it’s very funny.”
