The UK uses magnetic resonance imaging scans to observe sodium and develop next-generation high-performance sodium batteries

According to foreign media reports, a study by the University of Birmingham in the UK showed that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology can effectively support the research and development of the next generation of high-performance rechargeable batteries.

(Image credit: University of Birmingham)

The technology, originally developed to detect the movement and deposition of metallic sodium ions in sodium batteries, can also be used to speed up the evaluation of new battery materials and help bring sodium batteries to market faster.

Sodium batteries are widely seen as a potential replacement for lithium-ion batteries, which are currently used in a wide range of devices, including portable electronics and electric vehicles . The materials needed to produce lithium-ion batteries are critical strategic elements, so researchers are working hard to develop alternative materials and more sustainable technologies.

Although sodium appears to have many properties for producing efficient batteries, challenges remain in optimizing its performance. A key challenge is understanding how sodium behaves during battery charge and discharge behavior to identify failure points and degradation mechanisms.

A team led by Dr Melanie Britton from the University of Birmingham's Department of Chemistry, working with researchers from the University  of Nottingham , developed a technique that uses MRI scans to monitor how sodium behaves in situ. The team also included scientists from the University of Birmingham's School of Metallurgy and Materials' Energy Materials Group and Imperial College London.

The imaging technique allows scientists to see how sodium behaves when it interacts with different anode and cathode materials, and to monitor the growth of dendrites, tree-like structures that can grow inside batteries over time and cause them to fail or even catch fire.

The MRI scans provide information about how the components of a sodium-ion battery change during operation, information that is currently not available through other techniques. As a result, the technique could allow scientists to identify ways to detect failure mechanisms when batteries fail, thereby understanding how to make batteries that last longer and perform better.