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Fast-charging sodium-ion battery uses anodes made from trees

A month after Natron Energy began its first-of-kind sodium-ion battery mass production, Swedish sodium-ion developer Altris has identified a means of making the lithium-free batteries even more sustainable. Together with partner Stora Enso, it's adapting tree pulp-sourced carbon toward use as an…

As we looked at when Natron Energy kicked off production a few weeks ago, sodium-ion batteries eliminate the need for rare minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel, relying on abundant sodium that can be sourced locally without harmful mining. Over on the other side of the battery cell, Altris makes its cathode out of Prussian white, made from abundant, inexpensive, non-conflict materials like iron, nitrogen, sodium and carbon. Beyond the fact that the ink has barely dried on the collaboration announcement, Altris has yet to begin commercial production and still refers to itself as a sodium-ion battery developer and prototype manufacturer.

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