From Top Electric.
Tin Anode – New U.S. Battery Breakthrough That Could Change Everything. A team of US researchers just broke the energy-density ceiling on sodium-ion batteries — and they did it with an anode that is 99.5 % plain tin.
In full pouch cells, the new tin-anode design hits 178 Wh/kg and 417 Wh/L, numbers that beat every commercial LFP pack on the road today (Tesla, BYD, everyone). For the first time, sodium-ion now outperforms lithium-iron-phosphate while using none of the scarce metals China controls.
The trick is almost comically simple: mix tin powder with 0.5 % carbon nanotubes and binder. During the first cycles the tin cracks, then spontaneously re-welds into a porous, interconnected sponge that stops further swelling and keeps cycling stable. Early cells hold ~90 % capacity after 100 cycles — already fixable with better electrolytes.
Sodium is dirt-cheap and abundant, the batteries work better in extreme cold, and cycle life could reach 5,000+. Tin adds cost ($35–40/kg), but far less than cobalt or nickel, and supply comes from friendly nations.
Unigrid Battery, the US startup behind it, can license this tomorrow and build factories at home. For the first time in 15 years, America has a realistic shot at a massive, independent battery industry.
Lithium’s era may be ending faster than anyone predicted.
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