Manganese and Sodium Emerge as Next-generation Battery Materials
Manganese Excels in Energy Density, Thermal Stability; Sodium Offers Performance at Extreme Cold
Manganese and sodium are gaining attention as new battery materials to drive the popularization of electric vehicles. This is due to their potential to reduce the cost of secondary batteries, which account for about 40% of electric vehicle expenses. With concerns about potential supply shortages of lithium, a core resource in existing lithium-ion batteries, the pace of research and development (R&D) for next-generation batteries that can reduce lithium dependency is expected to accelerate worldwide. Experts diagnose that Korea, resource-poor, should not rely solely on its current mainstay product, high-nickel batteries, to overcome its limitations.
According to the scientific community and battery industry on Aug. 20, there is growing interest in resources that are abundant worldwide. Manganese and sodium are emerging as new battery raw materials that can replace expensive rare metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, contributing to the popularization of electric vehicles. Prof.
Kang Cheon-gu of Inha University’s Department of Energy Resources Engineering, explained:
As cobalt is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the importance of resources that can replace rare metals in the battery industry is being highlighted.
Korea is leading the development of lithium manganese rich (LMR) batteries, where manganese accounts for up to 65%. POSCO Future M successfully piloted LMR cathode material production last year and plans to secure mass production technology within this year. LMR batteries, a type of lithium-ion battery, are characterized by almost eliminating cobalt and reducing nickel content to secure price competitiveness. Compared to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, they have over 30% higher energy density and are advantageous in terms of recycling. Manganese has high thermal stability and facilitates the movement of lithium ions.
China has focused on sodium as a next-generation affordable battery material, noting its chemical properties similar to lithium. CATL, the world’s largest battery company, unveiled its sodium-ion battery product “Nextara” in April, revealing plans to start mass production within this year. Sodium batteries are characterized by containing no lithium at all, unlike LMR batteries. According to CATL, the energy density is 175Wh/kg, similar to LFP batteries, and maintains over 90% of charge at -40°C with minimal power degradation. In contrast, lithium-ion batteries can lose up to 70% capacity at -20°C.
The active research on manganese and sodium-based batteries is largely driven by concerns about potentially severe long-term lithium supply issues. According to a paper published in June in the international journal “Cell Reports Sustainability” by a joint research team from East China Normal University and Lund University in Sweden, cumulative lithium demand is expected to significantly exceed supply in all regions, including China, the European Union (EU), and the United States by 2030. By 2030, China is predicted to need up to 1,319,000 tons of lithium, the EU 792,000 tons, and the U.S. 692,000 tons. However, maximum production is estimated at only 1,163,000 tons, 325,000 tons, and 610,000 tons respectively.
In contrast, sodium is the sixth most abundant element on Earth, constituting about 2.6% of the Earth’s crust. It can be easily extracted from seawater or rock salt, making its reserves virtually unlimited. Manganese is also abundant with global reserves of about 1.5 billion tons, and its deposits are dispersed across various regions including South Africa, Australia, Ukraine, Brazil, and China. As secondary batteries can be applied to various industries beyond electric vehicles, including robotics, aviation, and shipping, the value of these materials is expected to increase further. Prof.
Cho Chang-jin of POSTECH’s Department of Battery Engineering emphasized,
The battery market no longer only needs products where performance is the top priority.
“As various markets requiring low-cost batteries, including affordable electric vehicles, are forming, Korea must commercialize new batteries centered on manganese or sodium.”
Improving lifespan is identified as a key challenge for the widespread adoption of next-generation affordable batteries. According to research published earlier this year in the international journal “Nature Energy” by a team including Stanford University, current technology suggests that sodium-ion batteries’ short lifespan and complicated manufacturing process make it difficult to replace lithium-ion batteries. In fact, the cycle life of sodium batteries is around 2,000 cycles, shorter than LFP batteries (over 3,000 cycles). This is because sodium ions are three times heavier than lithium ions, causing greater electrode cracking with each movement within the battery.
Ultimately, developing new anode technology that can compensate for these disadvantages is seen as the key to commercialization. The hard carbon technology proposed by a joint research team from POSTECH and the Korea Institute of Energy Research secured high output and lifespan stability using tin. It demonstrated high stability and fast reactivity in both lithium and sodium environments, proving its potential for application in various batteries.
Prof. Sun Yang-guk of Hanyang University’s Department of Energy Engineering advised,
For Korea to catch up with China in the global battery market, it needs to accelerate the mass production of next-generation affordable batteries such as LMR.
출처 : Businesskorea(https://www.businesskorea.co.kr)
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