Tests conducted by Titirici Group, a multidisciplinary research team based at Imperial College London, have found that a novel carbon nanotube electrode material derived from CO₂—produced by Estonian nanotech company UP Catalyst (earlier post)—enhances the cyclability of sodium-ion batteries.

The results showed 93.75% capacity retention after exceeding 4000 charge and discharge cycles. By contrast, the batteries that are currently in widespread use become depleted after just 800 cycles while experiencing a significant reduction in capacity. UP Catalyst’s electrode material also exhibits excellent stability and improved energy density, making it a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage applications.

We are thrilled with the results of these tests and the potential they hold for the future of energy storage. UP Catalyst is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing and promoting sustainable energy solutions. The development of this new electrode material is a significant step towards achieving these goals, as it not only enhances battery performance, but also helps to mitigate the impact of carbon emissions on the environment.

—Gary Urb, CEO of UP Catalyst

This also means that sodium-ion battery technology could approach and exceed the performance of lithium-ion batteries at a much lower cost and higher efficiency and safety levels. As battery giants like CATL have claimed to have solved the sodium-ion batteries’ energy density problem—the only downfall compared to Li-ion batteries—there is nothing stopping large manufacturers from turning towards mass production of new generation sodium-ion batteries.

HiNa Battery Technology in China, Tiamat in France, Altris in Sweden, and Natron Energy in the US are all commercializing sodium-ion batteries indicating a shift in energy storage technologies. UP Catalyst has now come up with a sustainable electrode material for the battery composition that increases the battery characteristics even further.

P Catalyst uses a molten salt carbon capture and electrochemical transformation method to reprocess the CO₂-rich flue gases from heavy industry emitters, biogenic origin and even direct air captured (DAC) CO₂. From every 3.7 tons of CO₂, one ton of carbon material is produced.