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Argonne researchers find cathode material synthesis a key reason for performance degradation of sodium-ion batteries

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One of the more promising candidates for batteries beyond the current standard of lithium-ion materials is the sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery. Na-ion is particularly attractive because of the greater abundance and lower cost of sodium compared with lithium. In addition, when cycled at high voltage (4.5

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PG&E, Calif. Energy Commission launch 4MW sodium-sulfur grid storage pilot in San Jose

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Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Energy Commission today unveiled a utility-scale sodium-sulfur battery energy storage system ( earlier post ) pilot project to better balance power needs of the electric grid. The system has a 4 megawatt capacity, and can store more than six hours of energy.

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New liquid alloy electrode significantly lowers operating temperature of sodium-beta batteries; improved performance

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Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have devised an alloying strategy that enables sodium-beta batteries to operate at significantly lower temperatures. The new electrode enables sodium-beta batteries to last longer, helps streamline their manufacturing process and reduces the risk of accidental fire.

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GE posts $63M in orders for Durathon sodium-halide battery systems

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GE’s Energy Storage business announced $63 million in new Durathon sodium-halide battery orders since the business launched in July. The technology is unique because it can function in a variety of extreme conditions and store as much energy as lead-acid batteries twice its size while lasting up to 10 times as long. Earlier post.)

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UNSW team demonstrates high reversible hydrogen storage capacity under mild conditions for sodium borohydride using novel core-shell nanostructure; potential for vehicles

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A team from the University of New South Wales (Australia) reports on a novel core-shell strategy leading to high and stable hydrogen absorption/desorption cycling for sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) under mild pressure conditions (4 MPa) in an open-access paper in the journal ACS Nano. With a high storage capacity (10.8

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New organic cathode for high performance solid-state sodium-ion battery

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Solid-state sodium-ion batteries are safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which pose a risk of fire and explosions, but their performance has been too weak to offset the safety advantages. Normally, a solid-state battery’s ability to store energy is halted when the resistive cathode?electrolyte

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GE demonstrates dual battery system for electric buses; pairing high-energy density sodium battery with high-power lithium battery optimizes performance and lowers cost

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The hybrid systems research team at GE Global Research has successfully demonstrated a dual battery system for an electric transit bus, pairing a high-energy density sodium metal halide battery with a high-power lithium battery. Sodium batteries are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Click to enlarge.

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