Science Daily  December 6, 2021 In earlier sodium batteries the anode would grow dendrites that can cause the battery to electrically short and even catch fire or explode. A team of researchers in the US (UT Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory) developed a new anode material, sodium antimony telluride intermetallic — Na metal composite (NST-Na), by rolling a thin sheet of sodium metal onto an antimony telluride powder, folding it over on itself, and repeating many times. This process results in a very uniform distribution of sodium atoms that makes it less likely to form dendrites or surface corrosion than […]

Science Daily  June 1, 2020 An international team of researchers (USA – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Washington State University, China) created a layered metal oxide cathode and a liquid electrolyte that included extra sodium ions. The cathode design and electrolyte system allowed for continued movement of sodium ions, preventing inactive surface crystal build-up, and allowing for unimpeded electricity generation. The research revealed the essential correlation between cathode structure evolution and surface interaction with the electrolyte. They are working to better understand the important interaction between the electrolyte and the cathode, so they can work with different materials […]