Summary Reader Response (Revised)

The web page “How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world” from BIGTHINK (Lockett, 2022) introduces the possibility of replacing our current choice of lithium-ion batteries with lithium-sulfur batteries due to their advantages. According to Lockett (2022) lithium-ion batteries have lifecycle problems from repeated charging, and battery degradation, which means a higher cost is required for battery replacement, and when mined, the materials are extremely harmful to the environment discharging toxic chemicals. Lithium-sulfur batteries are an improvement on the above issues but have only half the charging cycle of lithium-ion batteries (Lockett, 2022). However, Drexel scientists’ recent discovery of monoclinic gamma-phase sulfur, although not fully understood to be put into practical use, prevents battery degradation in lithium-sulfur batteries altogether (Lockett, 2022).


Compared to lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries last two times longer, have three times more energy storage, charge equally fast, reduce battery expansion, are safer for the environment, and are cheaper (Lockett, 2022). With lithium-sulfur batteries being such a clear upgrade as compared to lithium-ion batteries in terms of material used, stored energy, and being environmentally safer, humanity will be one step closer to a low-carbon, fully electric future, especially in the transportation field.


One such upgrade of lithium-sulfur battery as compared to lithium-sulfur battery is the material used in the battery. According to Liddle (2022) lithium-ion consists of cobalt, which costs USD 75K/MT (metric ton), as compared to lithium-sulfur, which contains sulfur and costs only USD 382/MT. Resulting in cobalt being approximately 200 times more expensive as compared to sulfur with the price still increasing as the years go by. Also, the mining of cobalt raises supply concerns, and its waste can contaminate water, air, and soil, reducing crop yields, tainting food and water, and posing risks to the reproductive and respiratory systems of the human body (Northwestern University, 2021). However, sulfur is abundant on earth and can be harvested in a manner that is safer and more environmentally friendly (DrexelNEWS, 2022). With cobalt mining being not only damaging to the ecosystem but also the human environment, it will be wise to shift to an eco-friendly material like sulfur, which is cheaper, easier to mine, and naturally abundant in the earth’s crust. By implementing this technology into the transportation sector, it will result in cheaper and environmentally-friendly vehicles. 


Another such upgrade of the lithium-sulfur battery is the increase in energy density, which is the amount of energy the battery can contain in terms of its weight and size. Lithium-sulfur batteries have an energy density of up to 2,500 Wh/kg, compared to lithium-ion batteries with around 250 Wh/kg (Park et al., 2021). With up to a 10-fold difference in energy density, lithium-sulfur batteries are a clear choice, offering higher stored energy at the same size, resulting in longer application usage times. This suggests that with the same energy density, lithium-sulfur batteries will require fewer materials in their manufacturing due to their smaller size and weight, leaving a lower carbon footprint. According to Merrifield (2020) a project was done that shows the lithium-sulfur technology providing a 10% greater driving range for hybrid electric vehicles and 2% greater range for battery electric vehicles, with up to a 15% decrease in weight as compared to the lithium-ion technology. This overall benefits and encourages the use of electric vehicles worldwide as compared to fossil fuel-powered vehicles, as they provide better performance at a lower carbon emission rate.


Despite their advantages, lithium-sulfur batteries only have half the charge cycle of lithium-ion batteries, which prevents them from being manufactured for real-world applications. The crucial component for increased energy density, sulfur, is relocated away from electrodes in the form of polysulfides during recharging, for years scientists have been working to stabilize and confine these polysulfides, but to no avail (DrexelNEWS, 2018). The loss of this essential component will lead to a decrease in performance for lithium-sulfur batteries during charge cycles.


However, during recharging, scientists have been experimenting with the above-stated process that creates polysulfides and are trying to slow it down to lengthen the lithium-sulfur battery life (Lockett, 2022). Instead, they accidentally discovered a phase of the battery called monoclinic gamma-phase sulfur that has zero battery degradation (Lockett, 2022). With such an unbelievable discovery, scientists did a year-long test, and the resulting gamma-sulfur battery maintained its stability over 4,000 charge-discharge cycles with no battery degradation (Modern Sciences Team, 2022). Compared to lithium-ion batteries, which degrade over time during charge cycles resulting in a lot of disposed batteries, and the mining of cobalt, lithium-sulfur batteries with zero degradation can save cost and material. Ultimately, this lithium-sulfur battery technology can help a huge range of activities, such as planes and ships to go fully electric, minimizing carbon emissions (Lockett, 2022).


In conclusion, with all these advantages over the lithium-ion battery, the lithium-sulfur battery will change the world once it is safe to be released, allowing an array of technology to go fully electric. The transportation sector, like car or boat dealerships, will profit from this as the world will slowly switch to these technologies, which are cheaper and have a huge battery energy density, resulting in a world with lower carbon emissions.




















References


Breakthrough in cathode chemistry clears path for lithium-sulfur batteries' commercial viability. (2022, February 10). DrexelNEWS. https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2022/February/lithium-sulfur-cathode-carbonate-electrolyte


A stabilizing influence enables lithium-sulfur battery evolution. (2018, October 16). DrexelNEWS. https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2018/october/lithium-sulfur-cathode 


Liddle, G. (2022, March 15). Lithium-sulfur batteries are a long-term solution to rising EV costs. Lyten. https://lyten.com/lithium-sulfur-batteries-are-a-long-term-solution-to-rising-ev-costs/


Lockett, W. (2022, April 17). How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world. Bigthink. https://bigthink.com/the-future/lithium-sulfur-batteries/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR1JQ-VrPK4Nt6YauDpwVZrmkeHE1jR0zfHdUdqe1wC5xr4XEabacCNVJLE#Echobox=1658939001-1


Merrifield, R. (2020, June 5). Cheaper, lighter and more energy-dense: The promise of lithium-sulfur batteries. European Commision. https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/cheaper-lighter-and-more-energy-dense-promise-lithium-sulphur-batteries


Modern Sciences Team. (2022, March 24). “Gamma sulfur” may hold the key to future lithium-sulfur batteries. Modern Sciences. https://modernsciences.org/gamma-sulfur-may-hold-the-key-to-future-lithium-sulfur-batteries/#:~:text=Technically%2C%20this%20rare%20form%20of,temperature%20environments%20in%20laboratory%20settings.


Northwestern University. (2021, December 17). Understanding cobalt’s human cost. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211217113232.htm


Park, JW., Jo, SC., Kim, MJ. Choi, IH., Kim, BG., Lee, YJ., Choi, HY., Kang, S., Kim, T., & Baeg, KJ. (2021, April 2). Flexible high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries using nanocarbon-embedded fibrous sulfur cathodes and membrane separators. NPG Asia Mater 13, 30. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41427-021-00295-y 

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