New wood-based sodium-ion batteries to power microcars and forklifts

Researchers in Germany have developed a novel sodium-ion battery using wood waste, specifically lignin, as a sustainable raw material for the negative electrode. The project, called ThüNaBsE, involves the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, with funding from the Free State of Thuringia and the European Social Fund. By thermally treating lignin—a polymer abundant in wood and typically considered industrial waste—the team produces hard carbon, a porous material ideal for reversible sodium-ion storage. This approach aims to avoid critical metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, while also minimizing or eliminating fluorine content in the battery components. The battery’s positive electrode uses environmentally friendly Prussian Blue analogs, iron-based compounds known for their non-toxicity and availability. Early laboratory tests demonstrated stable performance over 100 charge-discharge cycles without significant degradation, with a goal of reaching 200 cycles for a 1-Ah full cell by project completion. The