From Trees
🌱 Can batteries be made from trees?
Trees are made up of lignin by 20-30%. Lignin is a byproduct in the production of pulp and cellulose fiber, which is typically burnt to produce energy. Yet, lignin is also one of the largest renewable sources of carbon and it can be used to create hard carbon. This hard carbon can be used as an anode in lithium-ion batteries. “[H]ard carbon from lignin is comparable to other non-graphitic carbon anode materials” and therefore lignin-based batteries are anticipated to be suitable for use in consumer electronics, electronic vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems. Stora Enso and Northvolt have therefore recently partnered up “to create sustainable batteries using lignin-based hard carbon produced with renewable wood”.
🌱 What are the advantages?
Many conventional lithium-ion batteries use a fossil-based graphitic carbon as their anode. According to the World Bank, graphite makes up nearly 54% of the demand for mineral in batteries. As the demand for batteries grows, the availability of graphite has become a concern – particularly as up to 95% of anode materials are produced in China. Replacing the graphite with hard carbon from trees can lead to a faster charging rate, lesser demand for fossil-based resources, and having a local European supply chain. Stora Enso and Northvolt hope to soon “develop the world’s first industrialised battery featuring anode sourced entirely from European raw materials, lowering both the carbon footprint and the cost”.
From Crustaceans
🌱 Can batteries be made from crustaceans?
The shells of crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters, and shrimp) contain a biopolymer called chitin. Chitin can be used to produce chitosan, and this can be used in the production of batteries. Using a gel made of chitosan as an electrolyte, it is possible to create a rechargeable zinc-ion battery.
🌱 What are the advantages?
The use of zinc-ion batteries is thought to be preferable to the current standard lithium-ion batteries, as zinc is very abundant compared to the limited supply of lithium. The problem is that zinc-ion batteries typically cannot be charged as often and perform comparatively poorly. Notably, the newly developed chitosan and zinc-ion battery has an energy efficiency of 99.7% after 1000 battery cycles. This may make it suitable for storing renewable energy from large-scale wind and solar sources. Moreover, approximately two-thirds of the battery can be broken down by microbes. The battery’s chitosan electrolyte degrades entirely within just 5 months and recyclable zinc (rather than lead or lithium) is left behind. Researchers now aim to make the battery even more environmentally friendly and expect that “well-developed zinc batteries [will be] cheaper and safer" to use.
Read more about lignin-based batteries here:
- https://www.storaenso.com/en/products/lignin/lignode
Read more about chitosan-based batteries here: