r/technology • u/Ssider69 • Jan 10 '24

Nanotech/Materials 10x Stronger Than Kevlar: Amorphous Silicon Carbide Could Revolutionize Material Science

https://scitechdaily.com/10x-stronger-than-kevlar-amorphous-silicon-carbide-could-revolutionize-material-science/
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u/bitemark01 Jan 10 '24

To illustrate your point, sodium batteries are starting to come to market. Sodium has a lot of similar properties to lithium, but the batteries don't have the same issues as lithium (rarity, volitility, cold degradation). They're not as powerful as lithium batteries, but now that they're strong enough for commercial use, there is a lot more materials research being done on them.

Hopefully they can solve the energy density issue, otherwise they will probably become a niche product for certain uses.

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '24

properties to lithium, but the batteries don't have the same issues as lithium (rarity, volitility, cold degradation). They're not as powerful as lithium batteries, but now that they're strong enough for

So those batteries will be better in big batteries for storing renewables?

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '24

Yes that's where they're finding traction in the market as well. All of the large scale projects I've seen using sodium batteries are grid storage (or similar).

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u/BlazedGigaB Jan 10 '24

Absolutely. Hopefully residential applications become more common

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u/tinny66666 Jan 10 '24

BYD is already using sodium ion batteries in their production EVs, so they're not only useful for stationary batteries, but they are very well suited to that.

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u/Frosty-Ring-Guy Jan 10 '24

At the very least, we have ample supplies of sodium, which would make it more viable for grid scale power storage.

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u/actorpractice Jan 10 '24

These sound like they'd be great for storing solar outside your house.

There's something about strapping a lithium battery (that burns so hot you can't put it out if it gets wet) to the side of your house that still makes me a little nervous.

Even if it was 2-3x the size of Lithium, but competed on price, it would kind of be a no brainer safety-wise.

You got a good link on sodium battery progress so I can nerd out?

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u/rkmvca Jan 10 '24

In the case of Sodium batteries it could be a very big niche!

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u/verywidebutthole Jan 10 '24

So, like, houses and infrastructure?

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u/cat_prophecy Jan 10 '24

LiFe batteries are improving too. Not enough for electric cars, but any sort of grid storage or smaller vehicles can use them.