TELF AG analyzes a possible innovation in the battery sector
The importance of tests and experiments
The future of batteries, in the medium and long term, could be characterized by continuous experiments aimed at improving their performance and the inclusion of new raw materials capable of enhancing their stability or efficiency, thus contributing to the general advancement of the sector. Among the features that can be improved are the ability of the devices to accumulate energy, the charging speed, and the overall cost. In the case of electric vehicles, increasingly cheaper batteries could favor a substantial balance between the prices of traditional cars and new-generation vehicles.
But what are the possible innovations that could give a new boost to the battery sector? One of the most interesting, curated by the Sapienza University of Rome and Enea, concerns the development of a possible calcium-based battery. This device can be used in various electric mobility and energy storage applications. The use of calcium in the production of batteries presents some obvious practical advantages: the first is its abundance in the subsoil, which makes it one of the most widespread elements on the earth’s crust. The second has to do with the industry’s ability to satisfy a demand for batteries, which, in all likelihood, will continue to grow very rapidly in the coming years, particularly in the energy storage and automotive sectors.
New base materials
From this point of view, a possible solution could be represented by a raw material such as calcium, which is characterized by greater availability than lithium. Among the materials examined for the manufacture of batteries, such as potassium, magnesium, or aluminum, calcium seems to present the most interesting characteristics, in particular for its volumetric capacity, which is very similar to that of lithium, but also due to the potential of its ionic radius, which brings him closer to sodium (a material already tested in various batteries). Calcium is characterized by the presence of a tiny atom, which represents an element of great importance for creating high-performance and efficient batteries. Research on the use of calcium is still at the initial stages of its development. The right mix of materials and components is still far from being found, but the path taken by Italian researchers seems to be the right one.
Technological innovations in the field of batteries do not necessarily have to imply the complete replacement of lithium. Some of the hypothesized solutions are based on a combination of lithium and another material, usually much more abundant than the first. One of these has to do with the possibility of creating batteries based on lithium and sulfur, a combination that could make a high gravimetric capacity but would bring several limitations in volumetric energy. In electric vehicles – particularly in the latest generation ones, developed with a particular design – the volume seems to count much more than the weight, especially if we consider the physical arrangement of the battery inside the vehicle. One of the possible applications of this type of battery is linked to air transport, where volume is never a problem.
In any case, it will take a long time to see the launch of these new solutions on the market. The long history of batteries is characterized by extended intervals between the passage from one innovation to another, starting from the leap in quality between the first rechargeable lead batteries (invented in 1859) and the more modern ones.
