• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2015

The secondary battery using sodium is investigating as one of power storage system and power in electric vehicles. The secondary battery using sodium as a sodium battery and sodium ion battery had merits such as a abundant resources, high energy density and safety. Sodium battery (sodium molten salt battery) is operated at lower temperature ($100^{\circ}C$) compared to NAS and ZEBRA battery ($300{\sim}350^{\circ}C$). Sodium ion battery is investigating as one of the post lithium ion battery. In this paper, it is explained for the principle and recent research trends in sodium molten salt and sodium ion battery.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.124-134
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• 2012

Environmental concerns over the use of fossil fuels and their resource constraints have spurred increasing interest of renewable energy, and the needs for energy storage from the renewable resources is getting rapidly increase. Na/$NiCl_2$ cell could be use electric vehicles as well as energy storage, because it has a high energy-efficiency, environmental-friendly, low cost. However, there remain several issues on improvement of materials, component, cell design, and process, to use in broad applications and to penetrate to market. This paper offers a comprehensive review on R&D status of the structure, chemistry, key materials, and cell design & manufacture for Na/$NiCl_2$ cells.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.57-62
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• 2016

The over-discharging phenomena in sodium-nickel chloride batteries were investigated in relation to decomposition of molten salt electrolyte and consequent metal co-deposition. From XRD analysis, the material deposited on graphite cathode current collector was revealed to be by-product of molten salt electrolyte decomposition. In particular, the result showed that the Ni-Al alloys ($Al_3Ni_2$, $Ni_3Al$ and $Al_3Ni$) were electrochemically deposited on graphite current collectors in line with over-discharging behaviors. It is assumed that the $NiCl_2$ solubility in molten salt electrolytes leads to the co-deposition of Ni-Al alloys by increasing metal deposition potential above 1.6 V (vs. $Na/Na^+$). The cell tests have revealed that the composition of molten salt electrolytes modified by various additives makes a decisive influence on the over-discharging behaviors of the cells. It was revealed that NaOCN addition to molten salt electrolytes was advantageous to suppress over-discharge reactions by modifying the characteristics of molten salt electrolytes. NaOCN addition into molten salt electrolytes seems to suppress Ni solubility by maintaining basic melts. The cell using modified molten salt electrolyte with NaOCN (Cell D) showed relatively less cell degradation compared with other cells for long cycles.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 2015

$Na-ZnCl_2$ battery, which operates as the same mechanism of $Na-NiCl_2$ battery using solid-electrolyte, is able to reduce its material cost by 40 % comparing to the $Na-NiCl_2$ battery. It has been known that the $Na-ZnCl_2$ battery produces $Na_2ZnCl_4$ as an intermediate phase during charge/discharge process. Therefore, the redox process is divided into four steps having the voltage range of 1.92~2.13 V. However, effects of the critical factors such as the composition of cathode materials, depth of charge and discharge, and additives have not been reported yet. We examined the effect of the Zn/NaCl ratios and revealed that its optimum ratio was in the range of 1.3~1.7.