Using sodium to make more sustainable batteries

Because lithium is a finite resource, battery researchers are on the hunt for alternative materials that can match its performance. Using the CLS, a team from McGill University recently discovered a way to replace most of the lithium in batteries with sodium. A big challenge with using sodium for cathodes is that it becomes unstable when exposed to air. The McGill researchers used machine learning to simultaneously test the impact of a host of different elements on a battery’s stability. Our HXMA beamline gave them detailed information about changes inside the battery when those elements were combined with sodium. To read the story online, visit www.lightsourc...