EV super batteries made from rock 

These cells could overcome challenges associated with existing li-ion batteries

Spotted: Around two billion EVs are needed on the roads by 2050 to achieve net zero. But because the lithium-ion batteries EVs rely on require low-abundant elements like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, producing this volume of electric cars is proving increasingly unsustainable. To ensure electric cars remain a viable and greener alternative, there’s a pressing need for lithium-free batteries. In response, a researcher from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has developed a new rock-based material that could potentially replace lithium in EV batteries.

The patented supermaterial is made from potassium silicate, opening up the possibility of batteries based on silicates – rock minerals that are among the most abundant materials in the Earth’s crust and are commonly found in stones on beaches and in gardens. One major advantage of this new material is its resistance to air and humidity, allowing to be moulded into a paper-thin layer inside the battery. Additionally, the resulting battery is solid-state, meaning ions travel through a solid instead of a liquid as they do in today’s lithium-ion batteries. This results in faster ion movement, making the battery quicker to charge, more efficient, and more fireproof.

The research team made its discovery when it was looking to develop fast superionic conductors – which needed to be able to withstand high heat, high humidity, and corrosive gases – for use in maritime sensors. Talking to Springwise, the material’s inventor Mohamad Khoshkalam explained: “Natural silicate ores are generally known for their chemical stability and durability, which makes them relatively resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Therefore we focused on finding solutions to enhance the conductivity in these type[s] of ores which later we found can also be used as a battery component.”

The rock-based battery holds enormous potential, and moving forward the team is working on designing batteries that operate at close-to-ambient temperatures, without using any flammable organic solvents, which would make them much cheaper, safer, more durable, and more eco-friendly than li-ion batteries. Khoshkalam told Springwise: “One of the biggest challenges that we need to solve is to enhance the lifespan of these batteries without using high pressure and at the same time finding novel engineering solutions to upscale this technology to the dimensions and performance metrics that are relevant for the commercial/industrial applications.”

Potassium and sodium silicate-based solid-state batteries are about 10 years away from commercialisation. In the next one to two years, Mohamed Khoshkalam and his team plan to develop a demo battery to demonstrate the effectiveness of their material to companies and potential investors.

Written By: Georgia King