After 50 cycles most sodium-ion batteries tend to store about 50% of original capacity.

More " Making sodium-ion batteries that are worth their salt.

However, in areas like stationary energy storage, weight is less of an issue, and sodium-ion batteries could find a wide range of applications.

Sodium-ion batteries are a type of reusable battery that uses sodium-ions as a way to store power in a compact system.

Topochemical synthesis of sodium metal phosphate olivines for sodium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries promise 400 Wh/kg with only minimal expansion/contraction during charge/discharge and a very high surface area.

"The big concerns for stationary energy storage are cost, performance and safety, and sodium-ion batteries would theoretically perform well on all of those measures," Johnson explained.

While some previous experiments have investigated the potential of high-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries, Johnson explained that room-temperature sodium-ion batteries have only begun to be explored.

Which means the battery approximately has a storage capacity of 400 W hr kg Yet, sodium-ion batteries are still unable to maintain a strong charge after repeated charge and discharge.

The next stage of the research, according to Johnson, would involve the exploration of aqueous, or water-based, sodium-ion batteries, which would have the advantage of being even safer and less expensive.

Because of their reduced energy density, sodium-ion batteries will not work as effectively for the transportation industry, as it would take a far heavier battery to provide the same amount of energy to power a car.