OSU professor awarded $3 million federal grant to produce a sustainable battery without scarce metals
After a decade investigating and experimenting with battery chemistry and storage, including working the last seven years on the creation of a rechargeable battery that wouldn’t rely on lithium, nickel and cobalt, Ji has made headway with one that would use graphite or other metals. His batteries might be safer than traditional lithium-ion batteries, too, and have the potential to store more energy, allowing electric vehicles to travel farther on a single charge, he said. Nickel is extracted from many places, but primarily the Philippines, Canada and Russia. Cobalt is primarily extracted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Lithium comes mostly from Australia, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Though copper is also in limited supply, Ji said he and his team are experimenting with a number of metals he would not disclose. There are no shortages of graphite globally, which can be sourced from many places. Ji hopes in three to five years his lab will have a commercially viable battery that does not rely on rare metals.