Advantages:
1, rich in resources: sodium is the sixth most abundant element on the earth, with abundant reserves and wide distribution. In contrast, the abundance of lithium in the crust of lithium batteries is low, so sodium batteries have advantages in resources.
2. Low cost: Because the mining cost of sodium is relatively low, the manufacturing cost of sodium battery is also relatively low. In contrast, the manufacturing cost of lithium batteries is higher, especially the price of key raw materials such as lithium carbonate is higher.
3. High safety: the chemical properties of sodium battery are relatively stable, and it is not easy to cause safety accidents such as combustion or explosion. In addition, the electrolyte of sodium battery is not easy to leak, which is environmentally friendly. In contrast, problems such as overheating or short circuit of lithium batteries may lead to combustion or even explosion.
4. Good high-temperature performance: Because the cathode material of sodium battery has a high melting point, the high-temperature performance of sodium battery is good. This is of great significance for some application scenarios (such as electric vehicles) in high temperature environment.
5. Good fast charging performance: the internal resistance of sodium battery is small, which can be charged quickly and shorten the charging time. This is of great significance for scenes that need fast charging (such as electric buses).
Disadvantages:
1, low energy density: the energy density of sodium battery is relatively low, which means that more batteries are needed to provide enough energy. This increases the weight and volume of the device, which is not conducive to the application of portable devices.
2. Short cycle life: The cycle life of sodium battery is relatively short, and its performance will decline after a certain number of charge and discharge. This limits the application of sodium batteries in some scenes that need long-term use.
3. Limited charging range: The charging range of sodium battery is relatively narrow, and it can only be charged in a small voltage range. This limits the application of sodium battery in some scenes that need high power charging.
4. Immature industrial chain: Compared with lithium batteries, the industrial chain of sodium batteries is immature and the production cost is high. This limits the popularization and application of sodium batteries in commercial applications.
Types of sodium and lithium batteries:
Types of sodium batteries:
1. Sodium-sulfur battery: Sodium-sulfur battery uses liquid sulfur and sodium as anode and cathode materials and works in molten state. This kind of battery has high energy density, but it needs high temperature (about 300 degrees Celsius) to work, which has potential safety hazards and limits its wide application.
2. Sodium salt batteries: Sodium salt batteries include sodium nickel chloride batteries and zebra batteries. These batteries have been commercialized, but they have not been particularly successful. Among them, the patent of nickel sodium chloride battery has been granted to Wei Chao in China.
3. Sodium-air battery: Sodium-air battery is an air electrode fuel cell with sodium ions as the medium. It uses sodium metal as fuel and generates electricity by reacting with oxygen. This kind of battery has high energy density and environmental protection, and is considered as a possible scheme for energy storage in the future.
Type of lithium battery:
1. Lithium iron phosphate battery: The cathode material of lithium iron phosphate battery is lithium ferrous phosphate, and the cathode material is graphite. Lithium iron phosphate battery has the advantages of high energy density, good safety performance, low self-discharge rate and long service life. However, lithium iron phosphate battery has the advantages of slow charging speed, high cost and low discharge power.
2. Lithium manganate battery: The cathode material of lithium manganate battery is lithium manganate, and the cathode material is graphite. Lithium manganate battery has the advantages of high energy density, good safety performance and low cost. However, lithium manganate batteries have short cycle life, poor high-temperature performance and easy flatulence.
3. Lithium cobaltate battery: The cathode material of lithium cobaltate battery is lithium cobaltate, and the cathode material is graphite. Lithium cobalt oxide battery has the advantages of high energy density, high discharge power and long service life. However, lithium cobaltate battery has high cost, poor safety and high self-discharge rate.