The Rise of Cobalt Free Batteries: Pioneering Sustainable Solutions for Electric Mobility

Are electric vehicles as eco-friendly as they are marketed? These electric vehicles and other consumer electronics are powered by cobalt. Cobalt is a metal that has high financial, environmental, and social costs.

Cobalt and nickel are scarce resources; instead of depending on them, a new cathode material developed by chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could be a much better sustainable alternative to power future electric vehicles.

The new cathode cobalt free batteries are made from organic materials that can conduct electricity similarly to a battery that has cobalt in it. These new organic cathode materials along with lithium-ion batteries get charged up quickly compared to cobalt batteries while offering similar storage capacity.

Sustainable battery materials that do not use scarce earth materials can have a positive impact on the environment by minimizing mining operations. These new cobalt free batteries could be a more sustainable solution; let's find out about it in this blog.

The Need for Cobalt free Lithium Batteries

Cobalt is one of the primary components in lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are used in various common electronic devices. Cobalt helps the batteries to have a high energy density and longer life. It is a rare and costly metal that needs to be mined and processed, with the majority of operations taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Large amounts of cobalt deposits are located in politically unstable countries, which makes the element even more scarce. Mining and processing of cobalt can have significant environmental, social, and economic impacts. It leads to deforestation, destruction of wildlife, and habitat degradation.

Mining and processing of cobalt can create hazardous toxic waste that pollutes land, air, and water around the mines. The need for cobalt free lithium batteries is constantly increasing. 

According to a report by Kings Research, the global cobalt free batteries market was valued at $1,227.2 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 3,468.6 million by 2030. The report highlights that the market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.20% over the forecast period of 2023 - 2030.

Advantages of Cobalt Free Batteries

There are tremendous benefits of cobalt free batteries compared to cobalt-based alternatives. Here are a few of them:

• Compared to expensive and rare element cobalt, the alternatives are affordable and can be easily accessible. The consumers will get reliable, affordable, and stable battery supplies.
• Batteries without cobalt in them would be an eco-friendly and safe alternative because they will not be dependent on other hazardous chemicals.
• It would reduce the large-scale mining activities for cobalt production resulting in minimal environmental and social impacts of cobalt mining.
• The new organic cathode materials along with lithium-ion batteries can be longer-lasting, more efficient, compact, and lightweight.

Alternatives to Cobalt Batteries

The majority of electric cars are powered by lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are recharged when lithium ions pass through a cathode, (positively charged electrode) to anode (a negatively charged electrode).

The cathode in the major lithium-ion batteries has cobalt, a metal that provides high stability and energy density. Because cobalt can be harmful, the following are two alternatives to cobalt that could be used in batteries to reduce its impact on the environment:

• Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP)

Car manufacturers are exploring opportunities to use lithium-iron-phosphate in their electric vehicles. The batteries are practically useful, however they can hold half the energy density compared to cobalt and nickel batteries.

• organic materials

Organic materials are a potential alternative to cobalt for cobalt free batteries. However, these materials are not able to match the conductivity, storage capacity, and lifetime of the batteries that have cobalt. As these organic materials have low conductivity, they need to be mixed with binders like polymers. These polymers help them maintain a conductive network. The battery's storage capacity is reduced because these binders make up to 50% of the overall material.

Top 3 players in the cobalt free battery market

Governments globally are funding battery manufacturers to develop more eco-friendly alternatives to the existing batteries. There are various start-ups and other companies in the race for innovation to eliminate cobalt from their batteries. Here is a list of the top 3 players in the cobalt free battery market:

1. Conamix

Conamix is a technology startup located in Ithaca, New York. They have innovated breakthrough materials and processes to develop affordable, high-energy, and cobalt free electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Conamix's innovation has immense potential to drastically reduce the lithium-based battery's price for use in various applications, like electric vehicles,  electric flight, and grid storage. The company aims to minimize cost, enhance energy, and eliminate cobalt from lithium batteries. Their  Lithium Sulfur battery technology reduces the electric vehicle's cost, which makes it easily available for customers in all segments without leveraging expensive and exotic materials like cobalt.

2. COBRA

COBRA's goal is to develop a novel cobalt-free lithium-ion battery technology that helps to overcome current bottlenecks faced by electrical vehicle batteries. COBRA is an abbreviation for cobalt free batteries for future automotive applications. It is a collaborative research and innovation project co-funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program for developing next-generation batteries.

The researchers aim to enhance every component in the battery system with a holistic approach. The goal of the project is to have a unique battery system that has superior features, like high energy density, improved cycles, less critical materials, and low cost.

3. Panasonic

Intending to develop a more sustainable world, Panasonic is making its cells and batteries as environmentally sustainable as possible by removing cobalt. They have been successful in reducing the cobalt element to nearly 5% from 100% in 1994.  The company aims to be an industry leader by offering cobalt-free Li-Ion batteries.

To Summarize

There is a driving urgency in the demand for cobalt free batteries because of environmental, economic, and social concerns related to cobalt mining and usage. Governments and battery manufacturers globally are exploring opportunities to develop batteries without cobalt as their key ingredient. By removing cobalt, these batteries can offer more reliable supplies and improved safety.

The alternatives to cobalt for use in batteries are affordable, abundant, and sustainable. These cobalt free batteries have a wide range of applications across various industries, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. They aid in potentially reducing emissions and addressing climate change effectively. The development of alternative materials to cobalt is an ongoing process. There are the latest advancements in the field fueled by various emerging technologies, start-ups, and use cases.