India is at the Energy Crossroads - Time for Na-ion Batteries

Dear All,

Another good article from India - highlighting the need to transition to electric vehicles and in particular the attributes of Faradion's Na-ion battery technology:

https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/india-electric-vehicles-sodium-ion-batteries-electric-cars-india-47938/

India should look at sodium–ion batteries more seriously. They work just like lithium–ion batteries, just with the lithium compounds swapped with sodium compounds. Sodium is one of the abundant elements on Earth, with vast global reserves of sodium minerals for example from seawater.

Research interest in sodium–ion batteries really took off from 2011. Until 2010, there were only 115 scientific papers ever published on such batteries by 2010. In the subsequent nine years, this number grew 50-fold to reach 5,804.

There are just a handful of companies working on this technology. The first to commercialize it, the UK-based Faradion, has filed multiple patents on sodium nickel and manganese-based oxide cathodes that do not contain any cobalt. Manganese and nickel are both abundantly available. The energy density of these sodium–ion cathodes has been shown to be almost similar (⁓80%) to that of NMC lithium–ion cathodes.

Sodium-ion batteries also have the significant advantages of being easier to recycle and transport. Lithium-ion batteries always need to be stored or transported at a partially or fully-charged state, where a battery is at its most unstable state. This is why there are global regulations that tightly dictate how lithium-ion batteries can be transported (why you can’t check-in such batteries in the luggage hold at the airport, for example).

Can Sodium-ion Batteries Propel the Future of Clean Transportation?

Dear All,

A new article on Na-ion Batteries has been written by my colleague at Faradion, Dr. Ashish Rudola:

https://evreporter.com/sodium-ion-batteries/



This level of technological maturity for sodium-ion batteries has been achieved in just eight years – with a few more years of similarly rapid development, the signs are indicating that the energy densities of commercial sodium-ion batteries would be comparable to those of NMC-based lithium-ion batteries. In the near future, it is realistic to expect that sodium-ion batteries would break through into the long-range EV market.

Na-ion: A Battery Technology Worth Its Salt

Hi All,

Na-ion battery technology has been featured in an artice in Chemistry World, entitled A Battery Technology Worth Its Salt.



The full article may be found here:

https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/a-battery-technology-worth-its-salt/3010966.article

Faradion, based in Sheffield, UK, was one of the first companies on the sodium ion battery scene. ‘We have a range of cathode materials patented, but our preferred composition right now is a sodium–nickel layered oxide,’ explains Jerry Barker, chief technology officer at Faradion. Graphite can’t be used as the anode in sodium ion batteries; it is not energetically favourable to put sodium in between the graphene layers. Faradion is using a hard carbon anode, a popular choice amongst sodium ion battery developers, and NaPF₆ electrolyte. 

Alongside batteries for renewable energy storage, Faradion is also developing replacements for lead acid batteries in both low cost electric transport – such as e-bikes, e-scooters and e-rickshaws – and for vehicle starter, lighting and ignition (SLI) purposes. ‘We've done home storage system, e-bike and golf trolley demonstrators to show that this technology is for real,’ says Barker. ‘We're not anticipating manufacturing the batteries ourselves. We are relicensing the technology now to existing lithium ion manufacturers and new entrants in the field.’ He says they will hit the shelves: ‘hopefully, fairly soon ’.

Best, Jerry

Faraday Institution - Expert Panel

Hi All,




I mentioned previously that I was acting as an Expert Panel member for the UK's Faraday Institution. The FI is the UK's independent institution for electrochemical energy storage and skills deveopment.

More information about the Faraday Institution and its mission may be found here:

https://faraday.ac.uk/#home

More information on the Expert Panel (including profiles) may be found here:

https://faraday.ac.uk/expert-panel/

Jerry

International Conference on Sodium Batteries (ICNaB-2019)

Hiya,

International Conference on Sodium Batteries (ICNaB-2019).

The final program for the confernce in Naperville, Chicago is now avaiable here:

https://custom.cvent.com/39AB5C3D8FB74A4981E935F55018875E/files/f2388377bc3b411abbcb50e9b2d1c4ca.pdf

My abstract: The Performance and Commercialization of Faradion’s non-aqueous Na-ion Battery Technology Jerry Barker, Faradion Limited

Jerry

Nobel Prize for Chemistry - 2019

Hi All,

I guess everyone is aware of this by now:

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2019/press-release/

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 has been awarded to John Goodenough, Stan Whittingham and Akira Yoshino. Richly deserved. The prize recognizes the development of the lithium-ion battery. This lightweight, rechargeable and powerful battery is now used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. It can also store significant amounts of energy from solar and wind power, making possible a fossil fuel-free society.

To quote the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences:

The foundation of the lithium-ion battery was laid during the oil crisis in the 1970s. Stanley Whittingham worked on developing methods that could lead to fossil fuel-free energy technologies. He started to research superconductors and discovered an extremely energy-rich material, which he used to create an innovative cathode in a lithium battery. This was made from titanium disulphide which, at a molecular level, has spaces that can house – intercalate – lithium ions.

The battery’s anode was partially made from metallic lithium, which has a strong drive to release electrons. This resulted in a battery that literally had great potential, just over two volts. However, metallic lithium is reactive and the battery was too explosive to be viable.

John Goodenough predicted that the cathode would have even greater potential if it was made using a metal oxide instead of a metal sulphide. After a systematic search, in 1980 he demonstrated that cobalt oxide with intercalated lithium ions can produce as much as four volts. This was an important breakthrough and would lead to much more powerful batteries.

With Goodenough’s cathode as a basis, Akira Yoshino created the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery in 1985. Rather than using reactive lithium in the anode, he used petroleum coke, a carbon material that, like the cathode’s cobalt oxide, can intercalate lithium ions.

The result was a lightweight, hardwearing battery that could be charged hundreds of times before its performance deteriorated. The advantage of lithium-ion batteries is that they are not based upon chemical reactions that break down the electrodes, but upon lithium ions flowing back and forth between the anode and cathode.

UK Faraday Institution

Hi All,

You are probably aware that the UK's Faraday Institution recently announced funding for 5 new research projects. That makes nine FI funded projects in total. At Faradion, we are particularly interested in the Sodium-ion Batteries project.

As you may know, I sit on the FI's Expert Panel:

https://faraday.ac.uk/expert-panel/

The Faraday Institution’s portfolio of large scale, mission-driven projects was selected after consultation with academic and industrial stakeholders across the country, with due consideration of the potential impact they could make to the UK. The institution’s four initial projects, launched in 2018 are as follows:

• • Extending battery life
• • Multi-scale modelling
• • Battery recycling and reuse
• 
  
• • Solid state batteries

The following five further projects were launched in the second half of 2019.

• • Electrode manufacturing

• • Lithium ion cathode materials (2 projects)

• • Sodium ion batteries

• • Lithium-sulfur batteries

CEA Grenoble

 Hi Everyone,

CEA-Grenoble. It was a great honour to be a member of the panel to examine Dr. Loic Simonin with a view to him being awarded the diploma HDR in Engineering - Materials. Loic did a great job!

Also on the panel were my friends and colleagues: Laurence Croguennec (icmcb), Philippe Poizot (cnrs-imn), Rosa Palacin (icmab), Teofilo Rojo (cic-energigune) and Renaud Bouchet (grenoble-inp). As you can see, following the examination we had an excellent lunch!

New Na-ion Battery - Wiki Page

Hiya Everyone,

My colleague at Faradion (with help from our friends at Tiamat Energy) has updated the Na-ion Battery Wikipedia page. This was long overdue as the last version contained a lot of errors and half-truths (and that is being polite!). It now looks really good. Take at look here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-ion_battery

Na-ion Batteries - a new Energy Storage Technology? Not Really!

Hiya,

It often gets quoted that Na-ion Batteries (not to be confused with Na metal anode cells - which are a completely different beast!) is a relatively new energy storage technology. In fact, these types of batteries have been under development for a great many years.

Below is a paper I published (with my good friends and colleagues, Yazid Saidi and Jeff Swoyer) in 2003 - it was the first report of a full-functioning and commercially-viable Na-ion cell using a hard carbon anode material. We used a fluorophosphate cathode active material, NaVPO4F. We also filed some IP around this concept.

As you will know, Faradion has now developed this Na-ion battery technology, using a layered oxide cathode material, to the point where it is performance competitive with commercial Li-ion batteries. But, in addition........sustainable, no lithium, no cobalt, no copper, lower materials costs, 0 V transportation and better intrinsic safety!! What's not to like?

International Conference on Sodium Batteries - 2019

Hiya,

I will be giving an invited presentation at the upcoming International Conference on Sodium Batteries -2019 (ICNaB-2019) in Chicago, November 2019. It should be a great meeting.

More details on the conference here:

https://web.cvent.com/event/1358c800-43e4-4b16-9429-9bed7ca5de16/summary

Jerry

Faradion - One of the top 4 Electric Vehicle Battery Startups out of 600

Hiya,

Nice mention and recognition for Faradion:

https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/4-top-electric-vehicle-battery-startups-out-of-600/

Interesting that one of the other startup companies is listed as LithiumWerks - the new name for Valence Technology - one of my old companies. Hardly a startup - it was founded in the late 1980's! Still it's good news for Faradion to be mentioned and to acknowledge all the great work we are doing in this sector.

Honorary Professor at University of St. Andrews

Hiya,

Just a short note to let people know that I have recently been appointed an Honorary Professor within the School of Chemistry at the University of St. Andrews. What a fantastic university!!

https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/jerry-barker(04d16545-2fa1-463c-9834-e3cd5d075817).html

Check out the university website and the Guardian university league tables for 2020:

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/

https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2019/jun/07/university-league-tables-2020

A special thanks to everyone at St. Andrews for this wonderful honour - especially Prof. John Irvine.

Presentation at Universite Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France

Hello,

Earlier this month (May 2019) I gave an invited talk on Faradion's Na-ion Battery Technology at the Universite Picardie Jules Verne in Amiens, France.

https://www.lrcs.u-picardie.fr/en/news-seminars/

Thanks to Prof. Christian Masquelier for the kind invitation.

See here:

Here is the Energy Hub:

Here are some pictures of the Gothic-style Cathedral in Amiens (Basilique Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens):

Jerry Barker: Background Experience

Hiya,

This was a slide I included in a recent presentation and it summarises (some of) my background experience:

The Scale-up and Commercialization of Nonaqueous Na-ion Battery Technologies

Hiya,

I recently published a paper in Advanced Energy Materials with my colleagues and friends

at Novasis Inc. on the commercialization of our respective Na-ion cell chemistries:

ICNaB Presentation

Hiya,

I recently gave a talk at the 5th International Meeting on Na Batteries (5ICNaB) at St. Malo, France. Fantastic conference at a wonderful location.

IBA-2019 Photo's

Hiya,

Here I am at the IBA-2019 meeting with my good friend and legend of Li-ion Batteries, Mike Thackeray:

Check out (and buy!) Mike's excellent book, Running with Lithium - Empowering the Earth:

https://www.archwaypublishing.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=785344

And here is a nice one of the IBA-2019 conference venue at La Jolla:

IBA Meeting Photo

Hiya,

Here I am at the IBA-2019 meeting with my friends and colleagues, Christian Masquelier and Dominique Guyomard (thanks for the photo Christian!).

IBA Presentation

Hi All,

I gave a recent invited talk on Faradion's Na-ion Battery Technology at the IBA-2019 meeting in San Diego. Excellent meeting, excellent location.

Large Scale Synthesis Methods

Hi again,

While developing active materials for Li and Na-ion battery applications it is always important (imperative?) to also consider economic methods for large scale synthesis and manufacture. It is not really much use to devise new materials that are simply too expensive or too difficult to manufacture at an industrial scale. For example, some years ago we invented the Carbothermal Reduction (CTR) method for large scale synthesis of polyanion Li-ion active materials such as LiFePO4. This still remains one of the very best industry methods for this application and has been used to make many other Li-ion and Na-ion active materials.

Here is a summary of some important large scale synthesis methods I have developed:

Large Scale Manufacturing/Synthesis Methods

Method	Uses	Patent#	Commercialization Status
Carbothermal Reduction (CTR)	Large scale manufacturing synthesis of LiFePO4 and many other Li and Na based transition metal polyanions	US 7060206 US 8163430 and others	Commercialized 2002 1000 MTonne/year production rate Licensed to Li-ion industry (following litigation and patent dispute)
Elemental Red Phosphorus	Excellent method for the large-scale preparation of Li and Na based phosphates	US 10050271	Experimental
Hypophosphite	Excellent method for the large-scale preparation of Li and Na based phosphates	US 10170212	Experimental

Li and Na Active Materials Review

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for not posting for a while - but things have been very busy!

Anyway, I decided to update my active materials summary - with a table showing some of the materials I have studied, patented and commercialised for Li and Na-ion battery applications. So here goes, and I hope it is useful (table below).

In addition, the carbothermal reduction (CTR) synthesis method (see other posts in this blog; patented by JB while working at Valence Technology Inc.) remains the industry-standard manufacturing method for making e.g. LiFePO4 as well as many other Li-ion and Na-ion active materials.

Li-ion and Na-ion Cathode Active Methods

Active Material	Common Name/Type	US Patent#	Commercialization Status
LiFe1-xMxPO4 (M = Mg, Ca, Zn etc.)	Substituted Olivines	US 6884544 + others	Commercialized 2002
(ss)-LiMn2O4	Surface-stabilized manganese spinel	US 6183718 + others	Commercialized 1996
Li3M2(PO4)3 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Li Nasicons	US 6387568	Prototype Scale
Li3M2-xM’x(PO4)3 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, etc.)	Substituted Li Nasicons	US 6387568	Experimental
LiMPO4F (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Li Tavorites (-F)	US 6387568 + others	Prototype Scale
LiMPO4.OH (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Li Tavorites (-OH)	US 6387568 + others	Experimental
LiMP2O7 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Lithium diphosphates	US 7008566	Experimental
Li2MP2O7 (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Lithium diphosphates	US 7008566	Experimental
Li2M(SO4)3 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Lithium sulfates	US 5908716	Experimental
LiMSO4F (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Lithium fluorosulfates (Tavorite structure)	US 2005/0163699	Experimental
NaMSO4F (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Sodium fluorosulfates	US 2005/0163699	Experimental
Li2MPO4F (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Lithium fluorophosphates	US 6890686 + others	Experimental
Li4M2(SiO4)(PO4)2(M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Lithium silicophosphates	US 6136472	Experimental
β-LiVOPO4	Lithium vanadyl phosphate	US 6645452	Experimental
NaMPO4F (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Sodium fluorophosphates	US 6872492 + others	Experimental
Na3M2(PO4)2F3 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Sodium fluorophosphates	US 6872492 + others	Pre-production
LiMTiO4, LiMZrO4 (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.)	Lithium titanates, Lithium zirconates	US 6720112	Experimental
Li2MTiO4, Li2MZrO4 (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Lithium titanates, Lithium zirconates	US 6103419	Experimental
Li2CuO2	Lithium copper oxide	US 5670277	Experimental
LixMoO2	Lithium molybdenum oxide(s)	US 6908710	Experimental
γ-LiV2O5, NaV2O5	Lithium (sodium) vanadium oxide	US 6645452	Experimental
Na3MP3O9N (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Al etc.) Na2M2P3O9N (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni etc.)	Sodium nitrido-phosphates	US 2008/0187831	Experimental
Na7M4(P2O7)4PO4 Na7M3(P2O7)4	Na condensed diphosphate-phosphates	US 9608269	Experimental
LiMXO4 Li4MXO6 Li3MXO6 Li2M2XO6	Li oxo-metallates	US 10115966	Experimental
NaMXO4 Na4MXO6 Na3MXO6 Na2M2XO6	Na oxo-metallates	US 10115966	Experimental
O3-NaNi1-x-y-zM1xM2yM3zO2	Substituted O3 Na nickelates	US 9761863 US 9774035 US 9917307	Pre-production
O3-NaNi1-x-y-zM1xM2yM3zO2 + P2- NaNiyM1xM2yM3yO2	Na mixed phase (O3/P2) cathodes	US 2017/0190595	Pre-production
Na2MSiO4	Na orthosilicates	US 10115966	Experimental
Na4-xLixM3(PO4)2P2O7	Na phosphate-diphosphates (4321)	US 9608269	Pre-production
Na2Mb(SO4)c	Na sulfates	US 2015/0024269	Experimental