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A new type of hybrid sodium-ion battery that offers both high capacity and rapid-charging capabilities could power mobile devices, electric vehicles and space tech. Researchers have developed a new coin-type sodium-based battery that can charge rapidly “in seconds” and could potentially power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs) in the future. By combining anode materials used in conventional batteries with cathodes from supercapacitors — batteries that can store and deliver energy at very high rates –– the scientists created a new type of sodium-ion battery that offers both high capacity and rapid-charging capabilities. They were looking for a way...

Two years ago, sodium-ion battery pioneer Natron Energy was busy preparing its specially formulated sodium batteries for mass production. The company slipped a little past its 2023 kickoff plans, but it didn't fall too far behind as far as mass battery production goes. It officially commenced production of its rapid-charging, long-life lithium-free sodium batteries this week, bringing to market an intriguing new alternative in the energy storage game. Not only is sodium somewhere between 500 to 1,000 times more abundant than lithium on the planet we call Earth, sourcing it doesn't necessitate the same type of earth-scarring extraction. Even moving...

In my self-designated role critiquing various schemes for total transformation of the world energy system, I get to review large amounts of poor, shoddy, and incompetent work. When people get into advocating for this “energy transition,” the stars regularly align to bring forth the most extreme levels of ineptitude. Start with the fact that the “smartest” people are filled with arrogance and hubris, but are not actually very smart. Add that many innumerate Politics and English majors have flooded into a field that cries out for engineering calculations. Add too that groupthink and orthodoxy enforcement prevent anyone from pointing out...

I urgently prompted my Dr. for more than 1 year for prevention and treatment protocols for possibly imminent, high lethality viruses. She's a good Dr. but her training gets in the way of giving a straight answer. The following very simple elements use 1) an inexpensive Dr. Z. protocol, 2) saline and very dilute hydrogen peroxide administered via home nebulizer, and 3) low-dose lithium from Dr. Michael Nehls. The protocol of the late Dr. Zev Zelenko, with which he suffered only 1 demise among 7,000 patients, uses Vitamin D, zinc, quercetin to substitute for hydroxychloroquine (generally unavailable because prescription only)...

Space X CEO Elon Musk and Argentinian President Javier Milei have met in Texas and spoke about working together to promote free markets and potential lithium projects. President Javier Milei’s chief spokesperson said that during their visit to Tesla’s Austin headquarters, the two talked about a range of issues, including the need to boost declining birth rates globally and the pursuit of technological advancement while upholding “liberty.” Musk has previously expressed his admiration for Milei’s unabashed support of private enterprise as well as his distaste for what he considers to be socialist excesses.

Lithium-ion batteries used in E-bikes and other electronic mobility devices are now a leading cause of fires in New York City following their popularity surged during the pandemic’s delivery boom, FDNY officials say. FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn told The Post that fires related to lithium-ion batteries have gone up nearly nine-fold since the pandemic, with more blazes related to the batteries happening in the last two months than in all of 2019. “It’s the prevalence of these e-devices on our streets, there’s way more of them now than ever before,” Flynn said.

Since 2017, hospitalizations due to e-bike injuries have risen 43-fold, ... Over 45,000 Americans were injured as a result of e-bike injuries between 2017 and 2022, indicating a 30-fold rise in the number of injuries caused by the popular mode of transportation. Nearly one in 10 of those injuries required hospitalization. ... 2022, e-bikes accounted for 4 percent of the bike market in the United States, up from 0.06 percent in 2015. ... between 2017 and 2022, the number of injuries rose from 751 to 23,493—over a 108 percent annual increase. Men were those most often injured, receiving between 69...

Stanford University researchers found that the best way to extend the life of a lithium-metal EV battery is to drain it and let it rest for a few hours. The study, “Resting restores performance of discharged lithium-metal batteries,” published on February 7 in the journal Nature, found that this straightforward approach restored battery capacity and boosted overall performance. Study co-lead author Wenbo Zhang, a Stanford PhD student in materials science and engineering, said: We were looking for the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to improve lithium metal cycling life. We discovered that by resting the battery in the discharged state,...

A massive fire broke out at a French industrial site used for recycling hybrid and electric car batteries on Saturday, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air. The town of Viviez in the department of Aveyron in Southern France was shrouded by black clouds of smoke after a fire broke out at a warehouse used to hold hybrid and electric car lithium batteries. Overall, the site held an estimated 900 tonnes of lithium batteries, however, officials claimed that the cause of the fire has still not been determined, Le Figaro reports.

YouTube Transcript... We've all seen EVS on fire a result of the lithium ion battery which provides the power to the car experiencing a condition known as thermal runaway. This is when one of the individual cells in the battery is either damaged by an impact or just degrades over time to the point where it causes a short circuit. This generates heat in the cell which causes an outcof control chemical reaction to become self- sustaining very quickly the heat spreads to the cells nearby heating them to the point where they also go out of control in a...

A video posted by the FDNY shockingly reveals how a charging lithium-ion battery sparked a raging fire in a Queens e-bike shop this month. The video, from King Electronic Hub in Richmond Hill, shows a charging lithium-ion battery surrounded by scooters and boxes shooting up a thick cloud of gray smoke, followed by sparks ... “It only took two and a half minutes for this exploding lithium-ion battery to fully engulf this e-bike shop in fire,” the text accompanying the video warns. “When we tell you illegal lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous, WE MEAN IT,” .. The two-alarm fire on...

A large cargo ship carrying lithium batteries which caught on fire has reached Alaska but continues to be held two miles offshore while responders attempt to extinguish the blaze. The 19-strong crew managed to make it to shore with no injuries reported, according to the US Coast Guard. The Genius Star XI was carrying a load of lithium-ion batteries across the Pacific Ocean, from Vietnam to San Diego when the cargo caught on fire, the guard's Alaska district said in a release. The fire started on Christmas Day in cargo hold No. 1, a spokesperson for ship owner Wisdom Marine...

Picture this: you’re cruising down the Great Ocean Road in your brand new electric vehicle (EV), the ocean to your left and the wind in your hair. But what if I told you this idyllic drive could turn into a nightmare, with the faint smell of something burning? This month we have had at least two large lithium-ion battery fires in Australia – one in the Sydney airport car park and another one more recently at the Bouldercombe battery storage site in Queensland. When a lithium-ion battery fire breaks out, the damage can be extensive. These fires are not only...

I'm looking forward to watching California environmentalists argue with each other over whether or not they should mine this lithium for electric cars.

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Elon Musk says prototypes are easy, production is hell. And when it comes to the long-awaited Cybertruck, Tesla's hell is its pioneering 4680 battery. Tesla delivered the first of its futuristic stainless steel-plated electric pickups last month and CEO Musk said in October that it would probably hit an annual production rate of a quarter of a million vehicles at some point during 2025.

Net zero’s dirty little secret is the African child labor and China’s forced labor for mining cobalt. But what that also means is that the United States is heavily dependent on our existential enemy and child labor for one of the most important minerals in modern society. Even NPR recognizes the problem. “Right now, most of the cobalt the US and its allies use comes from mines that are owned or controlled by China or the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the outlet reported. Of course, NPR did not explain that those supposedly wonderfully eco-friendly electric cars, besides being unreliable,...

The hot brine in a vast underground reserve under the Salton Sea in California probably contains enough lithium to build 375 million batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), according to “Characterizing the Geothermal Lithium Resource at the Salton Sea,” a new report by the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The researchers attempted to thoroughly quantify the amount of lithium that the deep subsurface geothermal reservoir of the lake could contain. Researchers estimate 18 million metric tons of lithium in the Salton Sea's geothermal reservoir, with at least 4 million tons already confirmed through drilling. The challenge now lies...

Imperial County, a sprawling desert region three hours southeast of Los Angeles that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border, may not be what you would typically associate with Southern California. Home to ramshackle landmarks like Salvation Mountain, the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach, it’s the least populated county in the region with just 180,000 residents. But U.S. politicians are suddenly interested in this rural area for other reasons — namely, the wealth of lithium deep beneath its surface. The rare mineral used in batteries, now in particularly high demand with the rise of electric vehicles, could be enough to produce 375 million...

Scientists have discovered that the circadian clock regulates axonal regeneration and repair. The authors found that DRG sensory neurons have an endogenous molecular clock that optimizes axonal regeneration in a mouse model of sciatic nerve injury. The researchers also demonstrated that axonal regeneration can be promoted using chrono-active drugs, such as lithium, which is currently used in clinics for treating neurological disorders. These findings pave the way for the use of clock-associated therapies and timed neurorehabilitation for people with Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) injuries. Dr. Francesco De Virgiliis said, "Our study shows that the circadian clock regulates axonal regeneration, and...