claim to have developed a sodium-ion battery material that forms a solid internal barrier when temperatures rise, stopping fires before they begin.

One of the biggest risks in modern batteries is overheating which can lead to fires, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) claim to have developed a sodium-ion battery material that forms a solid internal barrier when temperatures rise, stopping fires before they begin.

The dangerous chain reaction it addresses is known as thermal runaway, and it happens when heat inside a battery builds faster than it can escape. Once it starts, temperatures rise quickly and can lead to gas release, fire, or explosions.

That failure mode remains one of the biggest safety concerns for electric vehicles and grid-scale storage systems. Preventing the reaction entirely, rather than trying to contain it afterward, has been a major goal for battery developers.

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