IBM Research has discovered a new battery solution that sources materials from seawater. Batteries tend to require the use of heavy metals for creation, including both nickel and cobalt. The extraction of these metals are a cause for concern for many with both humanitarian and environmental impacts in play.
Batteries are common to almost every device that requires power. They are so common that the need for them has become an increasing concern - not only in terms of demand, but also in the methods used to source the materials needed. This is particularly true of cobalt which has routinely raised criticisms over the humanitarian cost of the extraction process. Cobalt is a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries and these are the same batteries powering everything from smartphones to self-driving cars. With demand for this type of battery only expected to increase, tech companies have been looking at how they can reduce their own dependency on heavy metals. Last year, Elon Musk Tweeted how Tesla planned to remove cobalt from its self-driving car batteries, completely.
One of the tech companies now working on an alternative to the use of heavy metals is IBM which recently announced it had discovered a way to use materials extracted from seawater instead. The solution touted by IBM goes well beyond the removal of cobalt as it does not appear to rely on any heavy metals at all. In this sense, it is a completely new solution based on the chemistry of three materials that IBM says have never before been combined in a battery. In an attempt to further accelerate the arrival of these batteries, IBM has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz, Central Glass, and Sidus. Together, the companies plan to build out a “battery development ecosystem” that in turn helps to bring the batteries closer to a finished product.
Seawater Batteries Environmentally Sound, More Efficient
IBM is essentially announcing a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries - and not just an alternative to some of the main ingredients. What’s more, IBM states the batteries perform even better than current lithium-ion batteries. Citing greater efficiency, faster charging, as well as higher power and energy density. These batteries are not just environmentally sound, but are also more capable in general. Further adding to their appeal, IBM states they are cheaper to produce thanks to their lack of heavy metals.
The issue is that they are currently far from being in a finished state. IBM’s announcement does not even suggest the company intends to build the batteries itself. Instead, the collaboration with the other vested companies is intended to flesh out the technology and create an environment where it becomes easier for other companies to produce the seawater-sourced batteries in the future.
What is clear is that a battery like this will be big news for the self-driving and electric vehicles markets. While other devices like smartphones use the same battery technology, electric vehicles are being touted as a cleaner alternative to gas-powered cars. However, due to their dependency on cobalt-made batteries, coupled with the massive task of transitioning the vehicle market over to electric alternatives, the EV market is fixing one environmental issue by placing greater pressure on another. The type of battery solution suggested by IBM does, in theory, solve that issue. The new battery technology created by IBM may also prove to be safer for EV drivers thanks to their low flammability, compared to the batteries currently in use.
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Source: IBM
