A New Invention from a Japanese Company Could Alleviate the Growing Demand for Rare Metals.
A leading paper manufacturer in Japan has successfully illuminated a light bulb powered by batteries made from wood powder. This invention is “lighting up” a future where drones, smartphones, and electric vehicles won’t deplete rare metals.
The bulb shone for 7 seconds or more in the latest experiment. However, Nippon Paper Industries hopes to increase the battery’s capacity enough to power a drone by the fiscal year 2030. Ultimately, the company’s ambition is to integrate this battery into cars.
If successful, Nippon Paper’s initiative will represent a breakthrough in creating a technology that can “liberate” rare metals and allow current batteries to power everyday life.
At Nippon Paper’s Fuji laboratory in Shizuoka Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Fuji, a small bulb emitted a bright light when connected from wires to a battery made of wood powder. Although the light only lasted for 3 seconds before fading, the head of the laboratory, Fuminari Nonomura, described it as a “revolutionary” moment.
The batteries are made from cellulose nanofibers with a diameter of 3 nanometers, or 3 billionths of a meter. These nanofibers are refined from wood powder and then processed into thin films separated by aluminum sheets, which serve as electrodes.
Batteries made from wood powder, without using rare metals, except for aluminum sheets as electrodes.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, wood powder batteries do not degrade even after millions of charge and discharge cycles. This characteristic was discovered by researchers at Nippon Paper’s laboratory last March.
In the fiscal year 2022, Nippon Paper will create the optimal shape and best processing methods for cellulose nanofibers. The company plans to produce a prototype battery to power small drones by 2023 and begin showcasing it after the Expo 2025 in Osaka. They also plan to apply wood powder batteries in smartphones and small household electronic devices by 2030.
Ultimately, the company hopes to incorporate wood powder batteries into electric vehicles, “liberating” scarce reserves like cobalt, lithium, and nickel.
Prices for rare metals continue to rise due to the expanding demand for electric vehicles. Lithium prices have more than doubled in 2021, reaching about $30 per kilogram. Cobalt prices have also doubled to $60,000 per ton.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is estimated to account for about 70% of the world’s cobalt production. Meanwhile, China produces over 20% of the global nickel supply. With the increased use of electric vehicles, reducing the mining of rare metals has become urgent. The mining of these metals raises concerns about economic security.
Nippon Paper’s batteries can be sourced from forests that cover two-thirds of Japan. Wood can be replenished by planting more trees. The main challenge for the company now is to significantly improve the storage capacity of the batteries so that they can power electric vehicles.
Buses, cars, and trams using capacitors as a power source have been operational in China and France. Operators have established a large number of charging stations to compensate for the limited energy storage capacity of capacitors and take advantage of their fast charging capabilities.
Tesla acquired Maxwell Technologies in 2019 to access the company’s advanced capacitor technology after CEO Elon Musk stated that electric vehicles would utilize such devices in the future.
Currently, cellulose nanofibers are primarily used as additives in snacks and products like shampoos. These nanofibers will be in high demand if they are used as a critical material in batteries.
Nippon Paper hopes to achieve consolidated revenue of 1.3 trillion yen (approximately $11.44 billion) by March 2031, including 65 billion yen from cellulose nanofibers and other new materials. This figure represents a 29% increase compared to 2020.
