Experts Emphasize Collaborative Solutions for a Sustainable Energy Future
A merger of battery industry and academia at Thermo Fisher Scientific’s inaugural Clean Energy Forum revealed sustainability in battery manufacturing is paramount, and advanced energy storage solutions and new battery technology will reduce the environmental impact of energy consumption.
The field of battery research and development is constantly evolving, having inched into the spotlight during the oil crisis in the 1970s with a primary focus on developing new battery technology with higher energy density and output. Since then, the development of lithium-ion batteries took the world by storm, and they are still used in most commercial applications today. However, lithium-ion batteries have environmental impacts throughout their life cycle. Raw material extraction and manufacturing processes are energy-intensive, and proper disposal and recycling are crucial to minimize environmental harm. Efforts are being made to improve sustainability by developing efficient manufacturing processes, responsible sourcing, promoting recycling, and exploring alternative battery chemistries. As society looks to reduce its environmental impact there is renewed interest in new battery technology that can provide advanced energy storage solutions in a more sustainable manner
Today, technologies are available that can help scientists better understand the fundamental science behind batteries. By gaining atomic-level insights into battery operations, researchers can explore ways to improve energy density, safety, performance, and sustainability. These foundational insights can prompt innovation and better engineering. But to truly shape the future of batteries and move toward cleaner energy options, experts across the field must come together in strategic, synergistic alliances.
Joining forces to shape new battery technology
Collaboration between battery industry specialists and academic researchers is essential to advance battery technology. Both sides carry strengths that can move the collective needle in battery research and development.
“In academia, scientists have a strong background in fundamental insights and are working to discover innovative solutions for clean energy batteries,” said Wendy Zhou, Senior Regional Open Innovation Manager (NA&CN) at Umicore. “Experts in industry excel in battery application and engineering. If we work together, we can learn each other’s perspective and niche.”
Advancements in clean energy technologies necessitate relying on the core strengths of industry and academia to boost the total output of innovation. Experts from both groups agree that collaborative partnerships will not only enhance research, but also move society toward a cleaner and safer world faster.
In the past, fundamental research on battery materials was primarily confined to academia, as the knowledge required, and the complexity of analytical instruments made it accessible to only academics. These instruments were intricate and costly, demanding a degree to operate. Today, with the advent of smaller, user-friendly instruments that are more affordable, industrial scientists can engage in in-depth materials characterization. This democratization allows collaboration between academia and industry, enabling each to analyze facets of the problem and work together towards more sustainable battery solutions for the future.
Unlocking answers with multi-dimensional characterization tools
Composition, interfaces, and chemical reactions within batteries are complex but imperative to understand in battery research and the development of new battery technology. Multi-dimensional characterization tools, such as those from Thermo Fisher Scientific powering battery research and manufacturing, allow for visibility into the inner workings of batteries, providing atomic-level insights that enable researchers to understand the correlation between scientific phenomena and cell-level performance.
“We cannot overemphasize the importance of characterization,” said Dr. Chengcheng Fang, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University.
Until recently, scientists were unable to fully understand fundamental issues with electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries. However, in recent research led by Dr. Fang, multi-dimensional tools helped to pinpoint that some battery casing materials were causing the incompatibility.
New battery technology goes beyond lithium-ion batteries
In our highly active society, people expect batteries to be high performing and long lasting, and today’s lithium-ion batteries are extremely efficient. But new materials are being tested in batteries across industry and academia to find ways to create advanced battery technology that’s more energy dense, safer, and sustainable.
“I really believe sodium batteries can be the future in the next five to ten years,” says Minghao Zhang, project scientist at University of California San Diego. “The resources for sodium batteries are more abundant than lithium batteries. If we can enable sodium batteries in the next five to ten years, we can solve a lot of tensions about the lithium resource availability where we’re trying to grow the [energy storage] industry ten-fold.”
Dr. William Chueh, Professor at Stanford University and Co-founder of Mitra Chem, elaborates on this. “There is no silver bullet when it comes to energy storage, we need to develop a wide range of [new battery technology] in order to serve the entire planet.”
A clean energy battery revolution is on the horizon
Clean energy batteries are critical to reduce energy consumption and emissions, and the revolution has already begun. Electric vehicles are in suburban driveways and battery-powered public transportation connects cities and countries. Governments are focused on scalable and sustainable energy solutions, and industry leaders welcome the move from small batch battery recycling to more affordable large-scale operations. The future of battery technology is filled with alternative materials and new battery technology that will take the world to a healthier, cleaner, and safer place.
To learn more advanced battery technology, please visit our battery research and manufacturing website >>>
Check out a recap of the Clean Energy Forum >>>
Read about the scientists at Thermo Fisher Scientific who enable safer and more sustainable batteries with electron microscopy technology and more.
Dieter Hofmann is the Senior Director / General Manager for Batteries, Materials Science at Thermo Fisher Scientific
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