Post-doc project In the SEBASTIAN (Sustainable Bio-based Advanced Separators for Engineered Ion-transport in Sodium-ion Batteries) project, researchers at Umeå University are developing cellulose-based separator materials for sodium-ion batteries and studying how they perform at temperatures ranging from −20°C to +60°C.
The project is led by Katarzyna Jankowska at the Department of Chemistry and focuses on one of the battery's key components: the separator. Separators keep the battery's electrodes apart while allowing ions to move between them, making them essential for battery function and safety.
Most battery separators used today are made from fossil-based polymer materials. In SEBASTIAN, researchers will investigate whether cellulose based materials derived from renewable forest resources can be used as an alternative.
The project aims to develop and evaluate separator materials for sodium-ion batteries and to better understand how material structure influences ion transport and battery performance.
By bringing together expertise in chemistry, materials science and cellulose-based materials, the researchers hope to increase knowledge of how renewable materials can be used in future battery technologies.
A particular focus of the project is battery performance in temperatures ranging from −20°C to +60°C.
Understanding how battery materials behave under these conditions is important for technologies intended for use in climates with large seasonal variations, including northern regions. Low temperatures can affect both battery capacity and charging performance, making temperature stability an important consideration for energy-storage systems.
The project will investigate how bio-based separator materials influence the movement of sodium ions and how battery performance changes under different operating conditions.
SEBASTIAN brings together expertise from both academia and industry. The project includes collaboration with the Poznań University of Life Sciences in Poland and is supported by an industrial reference group that includes representatives from Mercer Rosenthal and Holmen skog.
The collaboration combines knowledge in battery chemistry, cellulose-based materials and industrial processing, creating opportunities for exchange between researchers and companies working with renewable materials and energy technologies.
The project is funded through the Swedish Energy Agency's research programme Sustainable Battery Value Chain, which aims to strengthen Sweden's competitiveness, security of supply, and ecological and social sustainability through battery-related research and competence development.
The programme also supports cross-sector and international collaboration that can contribute to innovation and the continued development of Sweden's battery ecosystem.
Through SEBASTIAN, researchers contribute to these efforts by exploring new approaches to battery materials based on renewable resources. The project is expected to increase knowledge of how bio-based separator materials perform in sodium-ion batteries under varying temperature conditions.
