Advanced sodium-ion batteries using superior low cost pyrolyzed anthracite anode: towards practical applications

Energy storage technologies are the core technology for smooth integration of renewable energy into the grid. Among which sodium-ion batteries show great promise due to the potential low cost originated from the abundant resources and wide distribution of sodium. However, the anode still remains great challenge for the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries. Here we report a pyrolyzed anthracite (PA) anode material with superior low cost and high safety through one simple carbonization process. The PA anode material shows promising sodium storage performance demonstrated by prototype pouch cells with a practical energy density of 100 Wh kg(-1), good rate and cycling performance. Furthermore, the high safety of pouch cells with PA anode was also proved by a series of safety experiments. These desirable properties of the PA anode can meet the requirements for practical applications and pave the way for the industrial production of low-cost and high-safety sodium-ion batteries for large-scale electrical energy storage. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.