Scientists from a California national laboratory have a clear request for their materials supplier: more manganese, please.
That's because the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory experts are developing manganese cathodes that are effective, low-cost, and safe. The findings could position the world's fifth-most abundant metal as a replacement for more costly nickel and cobalt, all per a Berkeley lab report.
And in a bit of a surprise, the researchers found that manganese particles 1,000 times larger than anticipated can thrive as an electrode. When power packs operate, ions move between the anode and cathode in a substance called electrolyte.
Innovations from around the world are ramping up to find the least-expensive, best-working parts for batteries, with safety, storage, and output as important metrics. Samsung and other well-known brands are also at work developing unique chemistry in the race for the best battery.
"There are many ways to generate power with renewable energy, but the importance lies in how you store it," University of California, Berkeley doctoral student Han-Ming Hau said in the summary.
The Berkeley invention uses manganese to make what the experts consider to be an "emerging" material called disordered rock salt. The cathode type is being developed in other labs around the world, too.
Using larger manganese pieces makes the production process more efficient. It takes two days to make the cathodes by removing lithium ions and heating the electrode to nearly 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Current techniques can take three weeks, according to the summary.
"By applying our new approach, we can use a material that is both Earth-abundant and low-cost, and that takes less energy and time to produce than some commercialized … battery cathode materials. And it can store as much energy and work just as well," Hau said.
Better batteries are becoming more important as renewable energy and EVs continue to grow in use. More than 20% of U.S. electricity is generated from the sun, wind, and other cleaner sources. About one-fifth of all vehicles sold in 2023 were electric, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency.
🗣️ If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you?
🔘 Cost 💰
🔘 Battery range 🔋
🔘 Power and speed 💪
🔘 The way it looks 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The cleaner energy limits production of heat-trapping air pollution. Health experts are studying how warming temperatures are impacting our lives, even inside classrooms with worse academic performance. The concern is noted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
That's why it's a great time to join the effort to limit our planet's overheating. Tax breaks for EVs and a variety of cleaner and more efficient products — that can save you money — are still available. A Berkeley study recently found that most homeowners with rooftop solar setups save on average nearly $700 a year in utility costs, even after factoring out the system's installation expenses.
Now the Berkeley team could help to expand the benefits with better battery storage. They used advanced scans and microscopes to get a clear view of how their manganese cathode held up under testing. The results open new possibilities for the common metal, and for "nano-engineering future battery materials," all per the summary.
"We now have a better understanding of the unique nanostructure of the material," Hau added. "… It's an important step that pushes this material closer to battery applications in the real world."
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
