Next-Generation Solid State Sodium Polymer Batteries for Stationary Storage Applications with a Recyclable Design
Project Update
As of January 2026, DarmokTech and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have initiated development of a solid-state sodium polymer battery (SSSPB) for stationary storage applications. Required chemicals and starting materials have been procured and a screening plan for solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) has been established. Screening of initial baseline cells has begun. In parallel, DarmokTech has completed an extensive literature review to assess the current SSSPB landscape and has started fabricating baseline cells to establish evaluation protocols.
The Issue
SSSPBs have the potential to significantly advance California’s energy storage portfolio and support the state’s statutory goal of 100 percent clean electricity by 2045, particularly for stationary energy storage and grid resilience. However, commercial viability is constrained by several challenges, including reducing the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) relative to conventional liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, improving interfacial stability at the electrode–polymer electrolyte interface, and addressing sustainability limitations caused by battery designs that are difficult to recycle. In addition, safety risks associated with flammable liquid electrolytes in traditional lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries remain a major barrier to broad deployment. Overcoming these barriers requires new polymer electrolyte materials, improved solid-state cell architectures, and practical recycling and recovery strategies designed into the battery from the outset.
Project Innovation
This project will screen and optimize materials to develop SSSPBs enabled by a novel, cost-effective polymer electrolyte that combines high room-temperature ionic conductivity with programable degradability to support end-of-life disassembly. The solid-state architecture improves inherent stability and reduces the risk of thermal runaway compared to conventional liquid-electrolyte batteries. In parallel, DarmokTech’s custom cell design enables non-shredding disassembly and recovery of electrodes in functional form for reuse, recycling, or regeneration. Together, these innovations support a safer product and a more sustainable supply chain while delivering a compelling cost, reliability, and environmental value proposition for California ratepayers.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The expected outcomes of this project include validation of three product-critical benefits: long operating life, safety, and lower LCOS with reduced lifecycle GHG emissions. By combining a solid-state cell architecture with widely available sodium and a recyclable, circular supply-chain design, the proposed SSSPB technology offers a strong financial, grid, and environmental value proposition. Compared with today’s dominant lithium-ion chemistries, SSSPBs are expected to enable lower LCOS, improved inherent safety through non-flammable materials, and reduced environmental impacts, while meeting performance and longevity targets. In addition, the non-shredding disassembly approach enables direct recovery of valuable electrode materials in functional form, reducing recycling complexity and lowering end-of-life processing costs.
Affordability
By enabling non-shredding disassembly, this project has the potential to reduce battery costs by up to 30 percent (when recovered materials are reused in suitable battery applications) compared with using virgin materials, while reducing recycling-related emissions by approximately 6× compared with conventional hydro- and pyrometallurgy-based recycling processes.
Environmental Sustainability
Pioneering fully recyclable battery designs will address environmental concerns and represent a major improvement over the largely non-recyclable designs of many current lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The project will quantify the environmental and sustainability benefits of recyclable SSSPBs using the EverBatt model developed for the ReCell Center at Argonne National Laboratory.
Safety
The solid polymer electrolytes and battery architecture developed will be nonflammable, mitigating the risk of thermal runaway found in traditional liquid electrolyte systems.
Key Project Members
Subrecipients
Match Partners
