TENTANG EPISODE INI
Could sodium-ion batteries reach mass production before solid-state batteries?
In this episode of The SP Show, Dr. Srinivas Popuri speaks with Professor Nikhil Koratkar, the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Chair Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Professor Koratkar explains why conventional liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion batteries may be approaching their practical limits and why solid electrolytes could deliver the next major leap in performance.
Yet if he had to predict which technology will reach the market first, he would bet on sodium-ion batteries using engineered, non-flammable liquid electrolytes.
The conversation explores:
• Why sodium-ion could compete with LFP in stationary energy storage
• Whether solid-state batteries can be manufactured reliably and affordably
• Why sodium’s abundance creates a compelling commercial case
• The potential of zinc, aluminium and other multivalent batteries
• Why promising laboratory results often fail during industrial scale-up
• How AI and quantum computing could accelerate battery discovery
• What researchers and PhD students should understand about careers in academia and industry
Professor Koratkar has published more than 260 journal papers, supervised 35 PhD graduates and co-founded Alsym Energy, a beyond-lithium battery company that has raised approximately $110 million.
This is a candid discussion about which battery technologies are scientifically promising, which are commercially realistic and why today’s apparent winner may not remain the winner five years from now.
TRANSKRIP 🔗
NIKHIL KORATKAR: I would say the conventional liquid electrolyte based has in terms of energy density, power density, cycle life, yes. I see the Big advancement, quantum jump, can come from the solid electrolyte s system. There's no other silver bullet out there that I see.
Sri Popuri, Ph.D: My guest this week on the SP show is Professor Nikhil Koratkar Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti…
