Aenert. Research Laboratory newsIn our daily lives, we have come to rely heavily on battery technology which plays an important role in many areas including mobile applications, electric tools and, of course, also electric vehicles. Nowadays, most of these devices rely on lithium-ion batteries which are efficient and have a wide range of possible applications. However, lithium-ion batteries also...
Aenert news. Energy resources and infrastructureThe rapid growth in sales of various types of electric vehicles in 2021 and 2022 has caused a high demand for lithium from lithium-ion battery manufacturers. According to the USGS, batteries accounted for 65% of the global end-use markets for lithium in 2020. Now, according to some sources, this share may be as high as 80%. This seems quite obvious when taking into...
Aenert. Research Laboratory newsIn search of an alternative technology for battery design sodium-ion batteries have emerged as potential candidates as a replacement for traditional lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion comprise lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel, materials which are scarce, have high environmental impact and high cost. Sodium on the other hand has a high natural abundance and is...
Unravelling the atomic structure of different materials is usually a difficult process which leaves a lot of questions unanswered when it comes to analysing the X-ray data. However, this process has recently become much easier as a new approach combines high-powered X-ray beams with advanced computing methodologies. Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory (2022) have designed a new technique which can make the analysis of material...
Cobalt (Co) is a chemical element and ferromagnetic metal of Group 9 (VIIIb) of the periodic table which is used especially for heat-resistant and magnetic alloys. Because the metal makes up only 0.001 percent of Earth’s crust and is high demand around the globe, especially for use in electronic devices which require batteries, it is one of the most significant supply chain risks threatening widespread adoption of electric cars, trucks...
Nowadays a trend can be witnessed in almost all countries around the globe which focuses on the development of renewable energy sources. One condition that has to be met in order to efficiently harness the energy produced by renewables is that the storage media or batteries have to be more flexible and enduring. There are a great many companies dedicated to producing batteries with higher energy density, lighter weight, faster recharge...
Lithium is a mineral which occurs naturally and constitutes about 0.0007 percent of the Earth's crust. Lithium is contained in minerals and salts of natural brines which can be found underground or in seawater. Lithium can also form a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing. There it is mostly contained in fracturing fluids. Such brines and produced water also show high concentrations of rare earth elements and metals. Since the 1990s,...
As we become ever more dependent on lighter, thinner, and smaller electrical devices, the production and use of lithium-ion batteries has turned into one of the most important branches of industry, as they are needed for e.g. mobile phones and laptops, but also for larger applications such as electric vehicles. To ensure good and reliable performance, the makeup of the battery is essential. Battery performance and safety are closely...
The availability of a number of metals and minerals is becoming increasingly important for the development of renewable energy as they are used as components in various devices, as bases or alloying additives, as catalysts, etc. Among them, lithium, cobalt, palladium, rare earth metals, and gallium should be mentioned first. The reasons why these materials are of such great concern are limited raw material resources, complications in...
Batteries are a means to transform chemical energy directly to electrical energy. A battery consists of a number of voltaic cells. Each cell is made up of two half-cells connected in series by a conductive electrolyte containing metal cations. One half-cell contains the electrolyte and the negative electrode, the electrode to which anions migrate, while the other half-cell includes the electrolyte and the positive electrode, to which...
