Sodium batteries are the ones that utilize sodium ions as the charge carriers. The charging and discharging of such a battery is done by insertion and separation of sodium ions, which occur between the anode and the cathode. The working principle of sodium batteries is essentially the same as that of lithium batteries, however the ion charge carrier differs – sodium ions and lithium ions.
There are two types of batteries that can be referred to as sodium and lithium batteries and both of them are considered rechargeable batteries, but there exist certain distinctions and merits that lie between the two:
Disparities in the chemical makeup
Comparatively, sodium is more abundant in nature and inexpensive while lithium is unfortunately rather limited in quantity and skyrockets in price.
Different compositions in the battery itself
Sodium batteries have as a cathode material, sodium crystals, lithium however employs compounds having lithium as the major element as a cathode material. Sodium’s chemical compositions are determined by sodium’s compounds and therefore in yielding better prospects if widely used.
Energy density difference
On electrochemistry, the energy density of sodium batteries is about one-magnitude lower than that of lithium batteries, thus meaning the size, mkml weight would be cheaper sodium battery operating at the same carrying capacity. However the energy should also improve towards the positive and in such ways expectancy on sodium batteries to replace lithium in the future may come through.
Environmental protection Sodium batteries are a lot more environmentally friendly than lithium batteries since they use more and therefore higher quantity of resources. Also, since the majority of the chemical components used in sodium batteries are harmless and recyclable, the resultant waste is also less toxic to nature. Safety Andrew and Little (2019) say that the electrolyte of sodium batteries can be very combustible and corrosive this means that higher safety standards have to be followed in the designing and making processes. On the other hand, lithium batteries are considered to be more stable but do have safety problems such as heat, short circuiting and bursting. Applicable scenarios are different There is a reason these batteries are implemented in many instances due to their energy density which is low for sodium batteries making it best fit in cases where there is no requirement for thickness or weight such as storage of energy systems, industrial vehicles among others. Lithium batteries are more appropriate for applications that are lightweight, high efficient and high-performance such as electric vehicles and mobile devices. In summary, there are both advantages and disadvantages in using either sodium or lithium batteries meaning there exists no definitive answer to which is better, this will depend on the application situation and real requirements. As sodium battery technology keeps advancing, it is possible that in the coming days it will be a much stronger competitor for renewable energy alternatives.
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