Summary Reader Response Draft 2

William Lockett’s article titled "How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world" published on BigThink.com (2022), describes how a discovery made by scientists at Drexel potentially made the alternative to the ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulphur batteries, commercially viable.

According to (Lockett, 2022), these lithium-ion batteries have many drawbacks. The materials used to produce these batteries are extremely damaging to the environment as it destroys ecosystems and releases toxic chemicals when mined. There are battery degradation and density issues. This refers to batteries losing the capability to store charge over time and being too bulky for their energy output. These cells can also spontaneously combust when damaged. These drawbacks limit the number of applications and adoption rate of battery power.

Lockett (2022) claims lithium-sulphur batteries solve all these issues. Lithium-sulphur is less damaging to the environment, can be 3 times more energy dense, is less likely to combust and is cheaper to produce without sacrificing charge speeds. 

However, Lockett (2022) also states, lithium sulphur has one major drawback: its life span. Lithium sulphur could only last half as long as Lithium-ion. The Drexel team were trying to solve this problem when they found a chemical phase of sulphur which essentially stopped battery degradation. Resulting in a battery which could longer and be more energy dense than lithium-ion batteries. Now the scientists are trying to understand this new phase of sulphur and ensure its permanency.

The advancements in lithium sulphur battery technology could lead to the rapid adoption and carbon neutrality of batteries which could open new markets for battery application. However major investments in time, research and development are required for these batteries to be realised.

The road to a lithium sulphur future isn’t going to be easy. According to Deshmukh et al. (2022, sec 8), many major challenges such as sluggish battery capacity at high discharge rates and chemical / thermal stability issues are still unresolved. The article further explains the state-of-the-art research and development required to tackle these challenges and reach our current energy storage requirements is not enough. This causes the implementation and commercialization timeline to grow longer and later. Even though there is a rise in research efforts, a development timeline of another 7 years is estimated, and some feel even that is ambitious. With no alternative storage option available in the interim, the possibility of irreparable damage to our planet seems plausible.

Conversely, when ready, lithium sulphur batteries can be rapidly adopted due to sulphur being far easier to mine and more abundant on our planet as compared to cobalt, resulting in bringing operational costs down. Furthermore, according to Merrifield (2020, para. 2), lithium sulphur batteries can also be manufactured in the same plants as lithium-ion batteries making the production process and adoption rather straightforward and cost-effective.

Lithium sulphur batteries are fast becoming the ideal alternative battery to lead us to a carbon-neutral future. According to Robinson et al., (2021, sec 19) lithium sulphur batteries become an even more attractive proposition when considering the lack of environmentally polluting materials in its construction and its various environmentally friendly production methods.

These factors along with lithium sulphur’s major performance benefits could culminate in opening battery power up to new markets such as planes and boats. According to Benjamin Thompson & Nick Petrić Howe (2022, para 1) a major problem with battery power when it comes to commercial flight is its weight and size which are not ideal for these applications. Lithium sulphur being 3 times as energy dense could resolve this.

While many challenges like chemical/thermal stability and sluggish battery capacity still lay ahead, in the evolution and refinement of lithium sulphur, I believe the realisation of a rapidly adoptable, eco-friendly battery added along with the substantial performance gains of the lithium sulphur batteries will usher in a new era of mass electrification. Resulting in a wide variety of well-made products with longer lifespans, more affordable pricing and higher performance capabilities while being more environmentally friendly. If done right, mass carbon neutralisation across industries can be achieved, eventually leading to a net zero future.

 

References

Lockett, W. (2022, June 8). How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/the-future/lithium-sulfur-batteries/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR1JQ-VrPK4Nt6YauDpwVZrmkeHE1jR0zfHdUdqe1wC5xr4XEabacCNVJLE#Echobox=1658939001-1

 

REX MERRIFIELD. (2020, June 5). Cheaper, lighter and more energy-dense: The promise of lithium-sulphur batteries. Horizon Magazine. https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/cheaper-lighter-and-more-energy-dense-promise-lithium-sulphur-batteries

 

Robinson, J. B., Xi, K., Kumar, R. V., Ferrari, A. C., Au, H., Titirici, M. M., Parra-Puerto, A., Kucernak, A., Fitch, S. D. S., Garcia-Araez, N., Brown, Z. L., Pasta, M., Furness, L., Kibler, A. J., Walsh, D. A., Johnson, L. R., Holc, C., Newton, G. N., Champness, N. R., . . . Shearing, P. R. (2021). 2021 roadmap on lithium-sulfur batteries. Journal of Physics: Energy, 3(3), 031501. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7655/abdb9a

 

Deshmukh, A., Thripuranthaka, M., Chaturvedi, V., Das, A. K., Shelke, V., & Shelke, M. V. (2022). A review on recent advancements in solid state lithium–sulfur batteries: fundamentals, challenges, and perspectives. Progress in Energy, 4(4), 042001. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1083/ac78bd

Benjamin Thompson & Nick Petrić Howe. (2022, January 26). How can battery-powered aircraft get off the ground? Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00196-2?error=cookies_not_supported&code=3a050007-1fca-472f-a379-0a519d97ec4d