Engineers Experimenting With Batteries Made Using Wood Waste

Put those leftovers to use!Pulp FictionAs the transition to electric vehicles starts to feel inevitable, the demand for batteries continues to soar. But even though EVs are touted as more environmentally friendly, both sourcing and disposing of the materials used in their batteries has rightfully raised questions over sustainability.Now, the BBC reports that Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso — one of the world’s largest owners of private forest — has hired engineers to explore a tantalizing solution: using a polymer found in trees, called lignin, as a crucial battery ingredient.Most batteries contain electrodes known as cathodes and anodes, which facilitate the flow of charged particles called ions. These ions are more or less stored in the anode when a battery is charged, and are released through the cathode when the battery is discharged to supply power. Because…

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