This method significantly reduces the time and cost of production, addressing key challenges for sodium-ion battery development.
A research team has developed a process for rapidly preparing hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries using microwave induction heating. Sodium-ion batteries, an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, use sodium instead of lithium. Sodium is more abundant and easier to extract, offering greater electrochemical stability and improved performance under low temperatures. Sodium-ion batteries face challenges, including lower energy density and shorter lifespan compared to lithium-ion batteries, due to the larger size of sodium ions. To accommodate these ions, hard carbon is used in the anodes, which requires a complex synthesis process involving high-temperature heating.
The preparation of hard carbon typically involves heating hydrocarbon materials in an oxygen-free environment at temperatures over 1,000°C for long periods, making it economically and environmentally costly. The research team proposed using microwave technology to rapidly heat the materials. They created films by mixing polymers with carbon nanotubes, then applied a microwave magnetic field to induce currents, heating the films to over 1,400°C in just 30 seconds. This process offers a faster, more efficient method for preparing hard carbon. The team leveraged their expertise in microwave magnetic fields, previously used in industrial applications such as displays and semiconductors, to explore the potential of sodium-ion battery anode materials. Their success was enabled by a multiphysics simulation technique that helped them understand the interactions between electromagnetic fields and nanomaterials.
The team plans to continue improving anode material performance and developing mass-production technology. They also see potential for applying their microwave induction heating technology in other areas, such as all-solid-state batteries. KERI has applied for a domestic patent and anticipates interest from companies in the energy storage materials sector, with potential for future technology transfer deals.
