Beyond Lithium: Alternative Battery Chemistries
Explore battery technologies that don't rely on scarce lithium, using abundant elements like sodium, zinc, aluminum, and magnesium for sustainable energy storage solutions
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Section 3 of 5The Lithium Supply Challenge
Lithium demand is projected to increase 40x by 2040, but global reserves may not meet this demand. Alternative chemistries using abundant elements offer sustainable paths forward, though they face their own technical challenges in achieving high performance.
Element Periodic Table Explorer
Discover how different elements from the periodic table can be used in battery systems. Select elements to explore the battery chemistries they enable, their abundance, cost, and performance characteristics.
Filter by Element Category
Battery Element Explorer
Categories
Abundance vs Performance Matrix
Research Opportunities
High Potential Systems
Key Challenges
Monovalent vs Multivalent
Monovalent Ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺)
Single charge carriers, faster ion transport, established technology
Divalent Ions (Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺)
Higher capacity potential, slower transport, coordination challenges
Trivalent Ions (Al³⁺)
Maximum capacity potential, severe transport limitations
Research Priorities
Electrolyte Innovation
Compatible with multivalent ions and aqueous chemistries
Fast Ion Transport
Overcoming kinetic limitations of multivalent ions
Manufacturing Scale-up
Cost-effective production of alternative chemistries
Alternative Chemistries Explored!
Sodium, zinc, aluminum, and magnesium offer promising paths beyond lithium. Now let's examine flow batteries, which separate energy storage from power delivery.