By adding the right amount of heat, researchers have developed a
method that improves the electrical capacity and recharging
lifetime of sodium-ion rechargeable batteries, which could be a
cheaper alternative for large-scale uses, such as storing energy
on the electrical grid. To connect solar- and wind-energy
sources to the electrical grid, batteries that can store large
amounts of energy are necessary at the source. Lithium-ion
rechargeable batteries—common in consumer electronics and
electric vehicles—perform well but are too expensive for
widespread use on the grid because it would require many large
batteries. Sodium is the next best choice, but the sodium-sulfur
batteries currently in use run at temperatures above 300°C,
which is three times water’s boiling point, making them more
dangerous and less energy-efficient than batteries that run at
ambient temperatures. The idea was to use the best of both
processes, but the conflict the researchers had to overcome was
that sodium ions are 70 percent bigger t