Businesses across industries have utilised technology advances to keep ahead of the curve since digitalization gained centre stage. People are increasingly turning to smart devices to help them with their jobs and lives. In this scenario, the world needs more energy, particularly clean and renewable energy. Our energy-storage techniques are today defined by lithium-ion and solid-state batteries, which are at the forefront of battery technology.
The Lithium-ion battery will have the most significant impact on growth, given its wide range of applications and further development potential. According to the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) report, India’s electric vehicle market is expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 49 per cent between 2021-2030, with the segment’s volumes set to cross annual sales of 17 million by 2030. This implies that the 2W-EV battery market in India alone would cross $7 billion in size.
Batteries have long been an important design element in everything from portable tools to computers and mobile phones, as well as uninterruptible power sources and satellites. For years, battery researchers have been working to boost energy density. The demand for higher energy densities arose during the boom in portable gadgets, which ranged from industrial measuring equipment to mobile phones. As the number of telecommunications satellites increased, battery weight became an issue. Every technology improvement tends to prioritise battery capacity. While researchers worked to enhance battery technology, electronics continued to evolve rapidly, necessitating ever-increasing quantities of energy and power.
However, it wasn’t until the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) that manufacturers began to examine the value of batteries in providing a better range, improved dependability, and lower prices. Size and weight are just as crucial in the EV market as cycle life. Batteries are typically classified as primary (single-use, often for long-term, low-power applications) or secondary (rechargeable). They have witnessed one innovation after another as they strive to give more energy density than ever.
The Battery Scenario
Lithium-Ion Batteries: In lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, the passage of lithium ions from the positive to the negative electrode via the electrolyte enables energy storage and release. In this approach, the positive electrode serves as the initial lithium source, while the negative electrode serves as the lithium host. As a consequence of decades of selection and optimization of positive and negative active materials, several chemistries are grouped under the label “li-ion batteries. The most frequent positive materials are lithiated metal oxides or phosphates. Graphite, silicon, and lithiated titanium oxides are examples of harmful materials.
Utilising current materials and cell designs, Li-ion technology will likely hit an energy limit in the next several years. Nonetheless, new families of disruptive active materials discovered recently should break through current restrictions. Because these new compounds can store more lithium in positive and negative electrodes, they can now unite energy and power for the first time. Furthermore, the scarcity and criticality of raw resources are considered with these novel molecules.
Currently, among all cutting-edge storage technologies, lithium-ion battery technology provides the best degree of energy density. The vast selection of cell designs and chemistries allows for fine-tuning performance parameters like quick charge or temperature working windows. Furthermore, Li-ion batteries have several advantages, including low self-discharge and long lifespan and cycling capabilities, with thousands of charging and discharging cycles.
Prior to the deployment of the first generation of solid-state batteries, a new generation of upgraded li-ion batteries is envisioned. They will be ideal for use in applications requiring high energy, high power, and safety, such as renewable energy storage systems and transportation.
Solid State Batteries: Solid-state batteries represent a technological paradigm shift. In modern lithium-ion batteries, ions flow from one electrode to another via the liquid electrolyte. In all-solid-state batteries, the liquid electrolyte is substituted with a solid substance that still allows lithium ions to flow inside. This idea is not new, but new families of solid electrolytes with very high ionic conductivity, similar to liquid electrolytes, have been developed in the last decade, allowing this specific technological barrier to be overcome.
The first significant benefit is a dramatic improvement in cell and battery safety: solid electrolytes, unlike liquid electrolytes, are non-flammable when heated. Second, it enables the use of novel high-voltage, high-capacity materials, which results in denser, lighter batteries with longer shelf lives due to less self-discharge. Furthermore, it will provide additional benefits such as more straightforward mechanics as well as thermal and safety control. The batteries may be ideal for use in electric vehicles due to their excellent power-to-weight ratio.
As technology advances, many types of all-solid-state batteries are projected to hit the market. The first will be solid-state batteries with graphite anodes, providing better energy performance and safety. Lighter solid-state battery solutions based on a metallic lithium anode should become commercially accessible over time.
Paving the way for the future
Lithium-ion batteries have dominated the market for decades, but as the need for high-density, long-life, and low-cost batteries grows, the competitive environment for solid-state batteries is getting congested. This is fantastic news for battery research and development, as this is required to rapidly bring solid-state batteries onto the market. Several materials and concepts are now being investigated and show substantial growth. As a result, once manufacturing catches up, as it has with liquid electrolyte Li-ion batteries, technical breakthroughs will propel it even further. This means that materials and design techniques will likely be tweaked in the next few years, pushing battery capacities forward.