Submitted by Sariel007 t3_10350rb in Futurology
Comments
gerkletoss t1_j2wy7n7 wrote
Kinda seems like greenwashing. Graphite for anodes is currently produced from petroleum coke and coal tar pitch, but really any carbon will do with some slight tweaking of the process. I'm not convinced that felling trees to avoid using the waste byproducts of fossil fuels for something useful is actually helping the environment, but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.
Sariel007 OP t1_j2x1ddv wrote
> Stora Enso's engineers decided that they could extract lignin from the waste pulp already being produced at some of their facilities and process that lignin to make a carbon material for battery anodes.
gerkletoss t1_j2x2wtr wrote
"Waste" pulp is used for making things like cardboard, paper, potentially plywood, and more. So yes, it's still driving lumber demand.
xondk t1_j2xah9y wrote
Lumber is however a renewable resource if done right.
gerkletoss t1_j2y1usn wrote
That's true. I would expect this as fossil fuels tail off. I'm just not sure this is the time to switch.
xondk t1_j2y8nbe wrote
That is a good question, though there really isn't going to be a 'switch' as in one moment, it needs to gather steam and built up a production line, which they might as well start as soon as possible.
gerkletoss t1_j2yb09k wrote
Well yeah, obviously everyone can't switch at once, but that doesn't mean the environment is benefiting from this company doing it early.
YouDontKnowMyLlFE t1_j2z5s75 wrote
Okay, so the most interchangeable and least disastrous to obtain part can be made… even less disastrously?
Great news everyone! Countertops are frequently made out of stones, like marble. Science has just discovered we can make them out of wood too! #futurology #literallytheyear2100 #thefutureisnow
[deleted] t1_j2wto54 wrote
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FuturologyBot t1_j2wxrsn wrote
The following submission statement was provided by /u/Sariel007:
>As demand for electric vehicles soars, scientists are searching for materials to make sustainable batteries. Lignin, the stuff that makes trees woody, is shaping up to be a strong contender.
>"Lignin is the glue in the trees that kind of glues the cellulose fibres together and also makes the trees very stiff," explains Lauri Lehtonen, head of Stora Enso's lignin-based battery solution, Lignode.
>Lignin, a polymer, contains carbon. And carbon makes a great material for a vital component in batteries called the anode. The lithium ion battery in your phone almost certainly has a graphite anode – graphite is a form of carbon with a layered structure.
>Stora Enso's engineers decided that they could extract lignin from the waste pulp already being produced at some of their facilities and process that lignin to make a carbon material for battery anodes. The firm is partnering with Swedish company Northvolt and plans to manufacture batteries as early as 2025.
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/10350rb/the_promise_of_batteries_that_come_from_trees/j2wtcf3/
eightbyeight t1_j30fm3w wrote
I thought most of the environmental impact from battery production is mining/refining of lithium.
Abedsbrother t1_j2xn0kn wrote
But I thought the whole point of renewable energy was to reduce / eliminate dependence on harmful environmental practices to produce our creature comforts. Are we going to return to massive logging of whatever forests are left so we can produce batteries to power the electric vehicles & appliances that are supposed to "save the earth"?
Odd_Armadillo5315 t1_j2xtfsb wrote
Return to? It's already happening on a gigantic scale & for purposes with much less useful outcomes.
There are established ways for it to happen in a sustainable manner, so battery manufacturers could insist on only using those sources. What's a better use of a felled tree: one day's newspapers for one town or an EV battery with a 15 year life and a further 10 years as a storage battery?
Sariel007 OP t1_j2wtcf3 wrote
>As demand for electric vehicles soars, scientists are searching for materials to make sustainable batteries. Lignin, the stuff that makes trees woody, is shaping up to be a strong contender.
>"Lignin is the glue in the trees that kind of glues the cellulose fibres together and also makes the trees very stiff," explains Lauri Lehtonen, head of Stora Enso's lignin-based battery solution, Lignode.
>Lignin, a polymer, contains carbon. And carbon makes a great material for a vital component in batteries called the anode. The lithium ion battery in your phone almost certainly has a graphite anode – graphite is a form of carbon with a layered structure.
>Stora Enso's engineers decided that they could extract lignin from the waste pulp already being produced at some of their facilities and process that lignin to make a carbon material for battery anodes. The firm is partnering with Swedish company Northvolt and plans to manufacture batteries as early as 2025.