Follow the Alkali Metal Road
Finding your path to Emerald City
I would like to welcome all new readers and subscribers. I am happy that you are here.
I have had a bunch of thoughts and ideas come across my mind, and to be honest it seems like there are a million things going on while the world pushes towards electrification. It has not been a smooth ride whatsoever - supply chain and macro conditions present one of the most unique times in the past 50 years.
Some time ago I mentioned that we are entering the “Charged ‘20s”, which was a play on the Roaring 20s where the world began emerging from World War I with massive construction and rebuilding efforts. Critical inventions such as the conveyor belt and assembly line increased efficiencies and enabled mass production of automobiles. This was also coupled with the rollout of electrical infrastructure that powered technological advancements and connectivity to communications systems such as the radio. Now the Charged ‘20s present a global challenge as various parties pursue their own paths toward harnessing and storing that electricity in rechargeable batteries.
Defining a Path
I did want to use this time to reflect on my broad experience working with lithium ion batteries. The image below is a representation of the paths (yes paths with a plural) that you will take in batteries. Whether you are an academic or industry professional you may have a specific goal, but getting there could be quite choppy and challenging in the sea of batteries.
If there is anything that a newcomer to battery should know is that creating electrodes and assembling batteries presents unique challenges. Just when you think you may be getting close to a solution or discovery you may get smacked by a wave (of electrolyte!) that pushes you back a few steps. Just as Dorothy was swept from her home in Kansas and had to find her way to the Emerald City, a battery researcher can experience a similar whirlwind. There are many learnings and encounters along the alkali metal road. When you find your path, stick to it and stay focused along your pursuit.
The path toward a sustainable future will always have noise along the way, and the Wicked Witch of the West in particular has a voice nowadays.
There are a lot of brilliant minds in both academia and industry and I am proud to be surrounded by you. I would like to challenge anyone working on anything to think about what technical challenge you would like to pursue. Academics and industries in Asia have clearly developed decades of experience and charted their own paths toward electrification. Europe and North America are now planning and hoping to execute on their paths over the next decade with the passing of recent legislation.
How will it unfold?
How do you think EU/NA should structure their thinking? Do you follow what is tried and true? Or do you push into new frontiers and spaces? From a simply economic point of view, can these Western nations ever reach the manufacturing scale of the East? The battery market is so heavily dominated by a select few companies, and I do think it would be beneficial to have more competitors. But it may also be challenging given the learning curve of batteries and the amount of time that it takes to develop and manufacture quality cells, packs, and modules.
Thanks for reading!