Lithium-Ion Battery Future Challenges and Alternatives

In the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries became commercially accessible and quickly grew in popularity as an ideal rechargeable battery for a large variety of applications. However, lithium-ion batteries have many disadvantages. They deteriorate over time and can be hazardous. The gathering of materials used in their manufacturing have caused substantial amounts of social, geopolitical, and environmental unrest. These issues and more have resulted in the need for alternative battery solutions. This poster focuses on three unique alternatives, zinc-air, sodium-ion, and supercapacitors, that with further development could be useful in the effort to shift away from lithium batteries. The lifetime and power capabilities of zinc-air batteries are comparable to lithium; they are also safer and more cost-efficient. They can also be used in combination with other types of batteries to increase performance. Sodium is an abundant material which makes it cheaper to source and manufacture. Sodium-ion batteries are less harmful to the environment, and pose less safety hazards. Super capacitors are diverse in manufacturing applications and have a higher range of operating temperatures. They also have better cycle-lives than lithium batteries. Each alternative battery type possesses promising attributes that will hopefully aid in the effort to lessen the demand and harmful impacts of manufacturing lithium batteries.