Weeding out weaknesses in the batteries powering our EVs

As a trainee in the field of intellectual property protection, I am consistently reminded of the importance of innovation - the more non-obvious the innovation, the better.

When I happened upon the below article, therefore, discussing the effectiveness of Scottish seaweed in increasing the lifespan of EV batteries by two to three times - my innovation alarm bells began to ring. Sure enough, having read the below article, the tendency of previously unconsidered solutions to produce outstanding results has once again been highlighted.

In the face of often catastrophic climate change, the electrification of any carbon-emitting practices offers an attractive, but oftentimes rocky, path to redemption. One such rock blocking the path to complete electrification is the storage of electrical energy. The batteries upon which we rely to store electrical energy are often of considerable size and weight - properties which are problematic when attempting to electrify vehicles or portable devices, for example. Furthermore, the lifespan of the batteries upon which widespread electrification relies is often shorter than we'd like. These lifespans having expired, there is then the issue of waste disposal - the lack of facilities suitable for the safe and unobtrusive disposal of dead batteries acting as yet another rock blocking the path to a carbon-free future.

Enter seaweed... Yes, seaweed.

A team comprised of individuals from Marine Biopolymers and the University of Glasgow's School of Chemistry have been exploring the role which alginates - naturally occurring materials found in brown seaweed - may be able to play in the development of silicon-based batteries.

Silicon-based batteries - although boasting a charging capacity up to ten times greater than their graphite-based counterparts - enjoy a shorter-than-preferable lifespan, due to the expansion and contraction of the silicon in-line with the cycling of the silicon-based battery. This cyclic expansion and contraction results in the cracking of the silicon, damaging the silicon-based battery.

Combining silicon with a seaweed-derived alginate, the researchers have been able to improve the elasticity of the battery's electrode, thus improving the ability of the battery to store energy without becoming overly damaged. At present, a small-scale prototype produced by the researchers suggests that this innovative battery solution could successfully boost the charging capacity and lifespan of a range of industrial and consumer products - not least EVs, which are vital to the global decarbonisation effort.

A naturally occurring resource - abundant along and indigenous to Scotland's coasts, the use of seaweed as a means by which to improve the electrification of a range of previously carbon-emitting practices is a welcome innovation. Furthermore, a 2022 report by IBioIC and the Scottish Association for Marine Science estimated that the harvest of wild seaweeds for the extraction of alginates (as well as numerous other uses) could see the generation of revenues of £71.2m/year by 2040.

Clearly, the use of seaweed to enhance the electrification of our transportation and other carbon-emitting practices stands as yet another example of the importance that ought to be placed on innovation, and the pursuit of previously unconsidered solutions to technical problems.