Summary reader response: Lithium-sulfur batteries (Draft 3)
The article "How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world,” written by Lockket (2022), introduces the discovery of a non-degrading type of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. Ever since the early 90s, Lithium-ion has always been the popular choice of battery technology. It is widely used in our daily lives, from powering up mobile phones to electric or hybrid vehicles to energy grid backup power facilities and even satellites circulating our atmosphere. However, there are some drawbacks with lithium-ion batteries, such as environmentally damaging to produce, battery degradation or a limited lifespan issue, a high density problem and a potential fire hazard. Luckily, in recent years, a new discovery has been made with the Li-S battery, which can potentially replace the current lithium-ion technology. Scientists found a chemical phrase known as monoclinic gamma-phrase sulfur that stops battery degradation in Li-S batteries. During the lab testing, the battery went through 4000 charge cycles without a drop in capacity. This is a massive discovery! Furthermore, Li-S batteries are less environmentally damaging to produce without the need to mine for sulfur. Also, sulfur is cheaper to obtain than cobalt because of its abundance on our planet. Moreover, Li-S batteries are said to be up to three times more energy-dense (meaning a lighter battery) than lithium-ion batteries by Lockket. With the capability to achieve zero battery degradation, Li-S batteries are definitely a better alternative than lithium-ion batteries as they are less environmentally harmful, cheaper and more energy-dense for the electric vehicle (EV) market.
As sulfur can be acquired by natural means compared to cobalt (a primary metal found in lithium-ion batteries), the production of Li-S batteries is far less environmentally harmful. A group of researchers from Northwestern University (2021), reported that cobalt mining can damage the surroundings and leads to reduced crop yields, contaminated food and water, and respiratory and reproductive health issues. On the other hand, sulfur is can be obtained naturally by the decay of organic substance containing sulfur or in vapours from volcanos and mineral water, Brasted (2022). The use of sulfur will drastically reduce the need for mining and its negative impacts. This idea lies in conjunction with sustainability and creates a long-term solution that will benefit the economy and our environment at the same time. Lithium-sulfur is therefore a more environmentally friendly compound for battery production in the long run for the EV market.
Li-S batteries are a cheaper alternative than lithium-ion batteries, which will lower the overall cost for battery-operated things. As sulfur is a more abundant element on earth, it is easier to obtain and a more feasible option than cobalt. The cost of sulfur is extremely cheaper, currently at the rate of $382/MT. To put in simple words, 200 tons of sulfur is equivalent to 1 ton of cobalt, Liddle (2022). With almost half the cost of a new EV comes from its battery pack, imagine the cost difference Li-S batteries can bring about in the rising EV market. This will be mind-blowing to both the car industry and its consumers, making EVs a more attractive option than vehicles running on petrol and diesel.
With higher energy-density, Li-S batteries can generate more power for our EVs. For the same amount of energy stored, battery systems in EVs can be up to three times lighter than before or have significantly more capacity for the same weight. Hence, EVs can finally travel 900 miles or even more on a single charge with a battery of the same size and weight as they currently have, as evaluated by Morries (2022). This figure doubles or even triples the current mileage of EVs on the market and also the old-fashioned petrol and diesel cars. What's more, Lockket (2022) states that vehicles such as short-haul flights, cargo vessels and passenger ferries will have technology that allows them to go fully electric. With the ability to go fully electric on most vehicles, if not all passenger carrying vehicles, carbon-emissions will be decreased, making net-zero carbon emissions more likely to be achieved.
Although one reality about Li-S batteries originally was their relatively low charge cycle of 1000 times before reaching their end-of-life, researchers were able to find a chemical phase of sulfur that was able to prevent the batteries from degrading. Pai (2022) implies that with the introduction of gamma sulfur, they are able to stop the reaction that creates polysulfides, “which stabilises to 800 mAh·g−1 in the first few cycles and it remains stable with a small 0.0375% decay rate almost negligible over 4000 cycles. The cells exhibit a high capacity of 650 mAh·g−1 even after the end of 4000 cycles. ” This surprising breakthrough for Li-S batteries exceeds more than four times its original charge cycle and it also resolves problems regarding end-of-life cycle and disposal issues of battery packs.
To conclude, lithium-sulfur is the most promising battery technology for the future of power cells. It stands out to be more environmentally friendly, cheaper, higher energy-density and lower battery degradation than our current lithium-ion technology. Toxic particles from mining and the overall cost of battery-operated things can be lowered, and power generation can finally be done in a more effective and efficient manner. This is all thanks to the revolutionary Li-S batteries.
References
Brasted, R, C. (2022, September 1). Sulfur. Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/science/arsenic
Liddle, G. (2022, March 15). Lithium-Sulfur Batteries are a Long-Term Solution to Rising EV Costs. Lyten.
https://lyten.com/lithium-sulfur-batteries-are-a-long-term-solution-to-rising-ev-costs/
Lockett, W. (2022, April 15). An accidental discovery could change the world. Freethink.
https://www.freethink.com/environment/lithium-sulfur-battery
Morries, J. (2022, April 2). Sulfur Battery Technology Could Make Electric Cars Go Three Times Further By 2024. Forbes.
Northwestern University. (2021, December 17). Understanding cobalt’s human cost: Social consequences of green energy must be assessed in addition to environmental impacts, researchers say. ScienceDaily.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211217113232.htm
Pai, R., Singh, A., Tang, M, H., & Kalra, V. (2022, February 10). Stabilization of hamma sulfur at room temperature to enable use of carbonate electrolyte in Li-S batteries. Nature Communications.
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