Home Care In Antimony, UT

University of Texas at Austin researchers have created a new sodium-based battery material that is highly stable, capable of recharging as quickly as a traditional lithium-ion battery and able to pave the way toward delivering more energy than current battery technologies.

For about a decade, scientists and engineers have been developing sodium batteries, which replace both lithium and cobalt used in current lithium-ion batteries with cheaper, more environmentally friendly sodium. Unfortunately, in earlier sodium batteries, a component called the anode would tend to grow needle-like filaments called dendrites that can cause the battery to electrically short and even catch fire or explode.

In one of two recent sodium battery advances from UT Austin, the new material solves the dendrite problem and recharges as quickly as a lithium-ion battery. The team published their results in the journal Advanced Materials.

“We’re essentially solving two problems at once,” said David Mitlin, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering's Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Research Laboratory who designed the new material. “Typically, the faster you charge, the more of these dendrites you grow. So if you suppress dendrite growth, you can charge and discharge faster, because all of a sudden it's safe.”

Graeme Henkelman, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, used a computer model to explain, from a theoretical perspective, why the material has the unique properties it does.

“This material is also exciting because the sodium metal anode theoretically has the highest energy density of any sodium anode,” Henkelman said.

Demand is rising for stationary energy storage systems for homes and for smoothing out the ebb and flow of wind and solar energy on electric grids. At the same time, lithium mining has been criticized for its environmental impacts, including heavy groundwater use, soil and water pollution and carbon emissions. Lithium-ion batteries typically also use cobalt, which is expensive and mined mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it has significant impacts on human health and the environment. By comparison, sodium mining is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Mitlin is bullish on the idea that this new innovation and others from UT Austin, including a new solid electrolyte that boosts energy storage, will mean sodium batteries may soon be able to fill the growing demand for stationary energy storage.

When a rechargeable battery is being charged, ions (such as lithium or sodium) move from one component called the cathode to another called the anode. When the battery is being used to generate electricity, the ions move from the anode back to the cathode.

The new anode material, called sodium antimony telluride intermetallic - Na metal composite (NST-Na), is made by rolling a thin sheet of sodium metal onto an antimony telluride powder, folding it over on itself, and repeating many times.

“Think of making a kind of layered pastry, like spanakopita,” Mitlin said.

This process results in a very uniform distribution of sodium atoms that makes it less likely to form dendrites or surface corrosion than existing sodium metal anodes. That makes the battery more stable and allows faster charging, comparable to a lithium-ion battery’s charge rate. It also has a higher energy capacity than existing sodium-ion batteries.

Henkelman said that if the sodium atoms that carry a charge in a sodium battery bind more strongly to each other than they do to the anode, they tend to form instabilities, or clumps of sodium that attract more sodium atoms and eventually lead to dendrites. He used a computer simulation to reveal what happens when individual sodium atoms interact with the new composite material NST-Na.

“In our calculations, this composite binds sodium a little more strongly than sodium binds itself, which is the ideal case for having the sodium atoms come down and evenly spread out on the surface and prevent these instabilities from forming,” Henkelman said.

The study’s two lead authors Yixian Wang and Hui Dong — current and former graduate students in Mitlin’s lab respectively — fabricated the material. Colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory led by John Watt characterized its properties. The study’s other authors are Hongchang Hao, Pengcheng Liu and Naman Katyal of UT Austin.

Mitlin, Wang and Dong have applied for a patent, along with UT Austin, on the new sodium metal anode material’s fabrication, structure and functionality.

This research was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation and The Welch Foundation.

Journal

Advanced Materials

DOI

10.1002/adma.202106005

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A Sodium–Antimony–Telluride Intermetallic Allows Sodium-Metal Cycling at 100% Depth of Discharge and as an Anode-Free Metal Battery

FEATURE — As shadows lengthened and his backside numbed from the almost three-hour drive, Nate Baker bumped onto the graveled road and drove cautiously past a row of mature cottonwood trees dressed in lush greenery that stood adjacent to the water’s edge at Otter Creek Reservoir.

The posted camping area at Otter Creek State Park in Antimony appeared to be filled.

Assorted parked vehicles with wing mirrors winked the sun back at him and Nate was sure he heard a stray voice say, “ha ha beat you here, should have left home earlier.”

He pushed the mute button in his head and proceeded to snuggle his pickup with boat trailer attached between a nice recreational vehicle and a tent. The last of the camp spaces was now filled with early weekend vacationers in tent trailers, campers and other improvised homes at the beachfront campground.

The B-4-Reel

The advent to Nate’s trip came just two weeks earlier at his home in St. George. He tested and waterproofed his 20-foot aluminum boat with its engine coupled with a jet-drive, suited for shallow waters.

It seemed ages since he had first reviewed the drawings and had ordered the first pieces of aluminum, cut per pattern.

Though he had only installed four upholstered seats – two more waited in the garage and the vessel still wanted paint – Nate decided it was time for a maiden voyage and christened the dory: B-4-Reel.

Readying it for first launch, Nate equipped the B-4-Reel with a first aid kit, a bright LED handheld emergency light, four medium-sized life jackets and two rod and reel sets – among them, a new Cabela’s special that his grown children had given him for Christmas.

He was giddy to get on the water.

The sky had decided to wear its blues instead of grays the day Nate was set to depart. Only a mischievous breeze fluttered his fishing hat and he yearned to hit the road. He attached the boat trailer to his pickup and headed back into the garage to retrieve a small igloo cooler.

Judy, Nate’s wife of thirty-nine years, called his name from the front porch and he squinted into the sun.

“Nate, honey, did you adjust the drip system on the cantaloupes?”

He hurried to his raised vegetable beds where he had dug up a few dozen red wigglers just the night before. The soil felt wet enough.

“I took care of it, honey, thanks for reminding me,” he said, throwing her an air kiss. “You enjoy your quiet time. I’ll be back later tomorrow.”

He hoped Judy didn’t notice her missing Tupperware and climbed onto the seat of his pickup truck, adjusting the throw pillow at his back; and with that, he was off.

Settling in at Otter Creek

Nate settled into the shoreline campground at Otter Creek, where he was greeted by his friend Keith Allred, also from St. George, who appeared holding two tall drinks with ice cubes.

“Nice place,” Nate said. “Have you caught any fish yet?”

“No, I’m waiting for you, Nate,” Keith said. “The beach is full of fishermen. I heard shore fishing is good in spring and fall but now that the weather is warming I think the prizes are a bit deeper.”

Keith had only seen a fish or two reeled in, he said, and invited Nate into his camping casa for the night. Keith’s wife Marilyn had barbecued chicken in the oven.

The fishermen climbed into the RV and Keith plopped down on the padded bench at the table.

“I’ll go wash up,” Nate said. “I guess the washroom is here on the left?”

He pushed the narrow door open and said with a whistle, “Nice bathroom! Don’t let Judy see this. She hates camping but this …?”

Fishing day

A door slammed outside awakening Nate at first light. He stretched and focused his eyes on the window overhead. Yellowish streaks of sky and a brushstroke of clouds filled the pane. The sun had not yet pierced over the eastern ridge.

“Light enough for me to poke a worm onto my hook,” he thought to himself.

Nate crept out of the RV and lifted the canvas tarp off his boat and a sprinkling of condensed dew splashed his face. The morning air was fresh enough for a jacket but he hadn’t brought one.

The sun would warm him soon, Nate knew, and busied himself attaching reels and line to rods and sorting hooks and minnow-shaped Rapala lures in his tackle box. That done, he left them and closed the lid.

Next he picked up a bag of marshmallows and the Tupperware he had absconded from his wife’s kitchen. He fetched an igloo cooler out of his pickup truck, filled with a morning repast of apple, banana, bottled water and an assortment of breakfast bars.

Keith emerged from the RV with a sleepy grin and pulled his ball cap down over his forehead. “Let’s get started,” he said. “The fish are jumpin’.”

Nate backed the pickup and trailer up to the lake’s launching spot and dropped the boat onto the clear water. Keith stayed with the truck and pulled the dripping trailer up the ramp and parked the rig in the designated gravel.

Would his new engine be trustworthy? Nate wondered, sweating a little. But it started right up and he let out his breath. The noise filled him with excitement vibrating through his body as he maneuvered his craft alongside the dock. Keith took the line Nate tossed him and secured the boat with a perfect cleat-hitch knot.

As he climbed into the B-4-Reel, Keith mumbled something about his sea legs and plunked down on the seat next to Nate.

“Your rods are still on the dock,” he said to Nate. “You want to fish don’t you?”

The men laughed and Keith reached over and grabbed Nate’s gear and let the vessel loose.

“Statewide fishing regulations include limits of four trout and six bass,” Keith said. “Let’s go catch our limit!”

“We’ll head to the dam,” Nate said. “I’ve heard that the big ones feed over there.”

The eager fishermen motored past a private marina located at the south end of the lake where the words “food, boat rentals and gas” were painted on a weathered wood structure. After a few minutes on the lake, passing several other fishermen in anchored boats, Keith marked their spot.

“This looks good,” he said. “We don’t want to get too close to the others. Let’s drop anchor here, Nate.”

They cut the engine and the anchor splashed.

“Let’s cast both of our rods and see what happens,” Keith said.

Nate soon had his new Christmas rod fixed and turned to watch Keith cast out, setting his first line on the starboard side. They chattered with excitement as they waited for their first bite.

“Nate, your line — you’ve got something!”

Keith jumped but couldn’t get behind the engine soon enough. Before Nate could turn around and grab his reel it slipped into the water while he scrambled to dive in and retrieve it.

“No, Nate!” Keith said urgently. “The water temperature is not even 50 degrees!”

Nate stood with a lump in his throat as he watched a beautiful rainbow trout swim away, hook in mouth and his brand new Christmas rod lurching along in its wake.

“Let’s pull anchor and go get that sucker,” Keith said, reaching for his net and reeling in his line.

Nate spotted the monster fish circling the boat still dragging his pole in the crystal clear water.

“Look, there she goes!”

“I got a bite!” Keith said.

Reeling in his jolting line faster, Keith picked up his net and swooshed in a 24-inch rainbow trout … a beautiful trout with a brand new Christmas rod in tow.

“Look what I caught,” Keith said grinning.

Nate stood with mouth wide open.

“I guess he’s technically yours,” Nate said. “But give me back my pole.”

Author’s note: This true fish story was told to the author by both fishermen, Nathan Baker and Keith Allred of St. George who can testify that Otter Creek Reservoir has a well-deserved reputation—one of the best trout producers in Southern Utah, 143 miles northeast of St. George

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen Lillywhite is a published author who enjoys writing everyday stories. She and her husband, Jim Lillywhite, are a photography team who live, love and enjoy the vistas surrounding St. George, with Jim serving a photography mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lillywhites have lived in the St. George area since about 2000, loving every day of it.

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State superintendent’s visit to her Antimony Elementary inspires students to ‘dream big’

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

ANTIMONY, Garfield County — Sydnee Dickson is back where her long association with public education began, the elementary school of her youth.

It was there she developed a passion for reading, devouring every book in the book closets that served as the school's makeshift library — sometimes reading each title twice.

From kindergarten until she was 10 years old, she learned in a two-room schoolhouse. Her teacher was her grandmother.

"She would not allow me to call her grandma, grandmother. I had to call her Mrs. Jolley. If I called her anything but Mrs. Jolley she didn't answer me because she didn't want to show favoritism to her grandkids," said Dickson, Utah's State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

On Tuesday, Dickson returned to the school and her hometown as part of her annual fall listening tour, a tradition started after she was named state superintendent in 2016. This year's tour includes visits to 10 school districts and a number of charter schools.

While each visit gives her an opportunity to see how state education policies are carried out in urban, rural and charter schools, it is also an opportunity for educators and administrators to share their perspectives and concerns.

Earlier this fall, Dickson visited San Juan School District, where she was told by a veteran educator that it was the first time the state's education leader had visited the Navajo reservation in at least three decades.

"I almost cried when I heard that," Dickson said.

For Dickson, the return to Antimony was personal. Drive down the main drag and she points out her childhood home.

A little further down the road is Antimony Mercantile, which was run by her family during her youth. Young Sydnee Sorensen worked the candy counter, carefully wiping fingerprints and smudges from the glass cases.

She also dug for nightcrawlers, collecting them for bait to sell to anglers who stopped by the store.

Coming home is "just surreal," she said. The school was rebuilt a decade ago and after Dickson's family moved to St. George when she was 10, she has only visited Antimony a handful of times.

"Just to see all the updates of the building, technology and modernization of the school, and yet it still has that wonderful hometown feel. Meeting the kids, they belong to families that I grew up with. A couple of the teachers are people I'm related to. It was fun to make connections but really just to come home and see how important that having a school in the community really is," she said.

Antimony Elementary has a current enrollment of 15 students grades K-6, which made it easy for Dickson to pose with entire student body and staff for photographs.

The school is led by teacher/principal Sierra Westwood, who is 23 years old. Although Westwood is from rural Utah as well, she was unaccustomed to what is the modern version of the one-room schoolhouse.

Dickson's visit made a big impact on Antimony students, she said.

"We're from tiny little Antimony here and the world is so big. I felt it just really showed the kids that they can do big things and they can do hard things. They can go places in life and dream big. They were really excited to have her here. She knows a lot of their family members. She got down to their level and really talked to them about people that they knew and it made the kids more comfortable and it was really exciting," Westwood said.

Dickson said she was not sure that elementary school students understand what a state superintendent does.

"They were really excited I was once a student here. They were more excited about that than my role," said Dickson.

Dickson said her visit to Antimony, named for semi-metallic ore that historically was mined in the area, reaffirmed to her the importance of the state's Necessarily Existent Small Schools program, which helps school districts pay to operate schools in remote areas of the state and in places with low student populations.

"In order to provide school for these rural and remote places, the funding source of NESS is really critical," she said.

It helps, as well, that the education efforts are supported by mobile libraries and health care clinics, she said.

When Dickson was attending Antimony Elementary School, part of her finger was cut off in an accident.

"The principal had to pick me up and carry me and run to my parents' store and then it was another hour to the doctor. Just the remoteness of some of these rural places can make things very complicated," she said.

But smallness and isolation are also what makes rural education magical, Dickson said.

"The most innovative schools sometimes are those in small towns because you have to be creative and innovative. She (Dickson's grandmother) definitely was. All those years later when I became a teacher, there was all this research to back up what my grandmother used to do.

"So I think it's just the invention of necessities. Teachers work really hard to figure out what works best for their students and really individualize everything for their students."

Five ghost towns are among the Utah sites that will allow you to see some of our state's most stunning relics from the past.

It is important to note that most of these destinations are either partially or entirely on private property. Visitors should always respect the law when exploring ghost towns.

GRAFTON:

This is one of the most accessible ghost towns in the state. It's so beautiful and well-preserved that it's been used as a setting for multiple films, including "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

The history: This area was settled in 1859, but the town was nearly destroyed during the great flood of 1862. The resilient residents moved a mile upstream on the Virgin River and built a new town they named Grafton, after Grafton, Mass. In 1866, Utah was in the midst of the Black Hawk War and Grafton was one of the many remote settlements that were abandoned for fear of Indian attacks. People began returning in 1868, but flooding from the notoriously volatile Virgin River again became a major threat to the town's safety. By the early 1900s, most of the residents had moved away and only a few families remained.

How to get there: Grafton is located just west of the town of Rockville on state Route 9. Take Bridge Road over the river and then follow it westward as it parallels the river to the town site.

WIDTSOE:

Though much of the town has been destroyed, Widtsoe boasts one of the most picturesque relics in Utah—its solitary schoolhouse.

The history: Like many early Utah settlements, Widtsoe went through a long series of name changes. In 1902 it was named Adair, in honor of an early settler. This was changed to Houston shortly thereafter, and then changed to Winder in 1910. Seven years later, the post office decided that there were too many "Winders" in the region and changed the name to Widtsoe, in honor of John A. Widtsoe, who was a developer of the dry farming techniques used in the area.

The town thrived for awhile, but extended drought conditions thwarted even the most resilient farmers. By the mid-1930s, the town was abandoned.

How to get there: Widtsoe is on the east side of state Route 22, about 24 miles south of Antimony.

OSIRIS:

Located next to a beautiful stream in Black Canyon, the Osiris creamery is a magnificent sight to behold.

The history: Settled in 1910, this town along the east fork of the Sevier River was originally called Henderson in honor of a Panguitch man who donated the land. But then the Holt family from nearby Widtsoe came in and constructed a massive creamery and summer home. For reasons unknown, they named the site Osiris, after the Egyptian god of the afterlife. Harsh weather conditions and poor farming doomed the settlement and it was abandoned in the 1920s.

How to get there: The Osiris creamery and home site are easily visible from state Route 22, about 10 miles south of Antimony.

FRISCO:

This iconic ghost town boasts some of the most stunning and well-preserved structures in Utah.

The history: When silver was discovered in Utah's San Francisco Mountains in 1875, the ensuing boom spawned the wild mining town of Frisco. With more than 20 saloons, brothels and gambling halls, Frisco's residents worked the mines by day and indulged in debauchery by night. At its peak, Frisco had nearly 6,000 residents and was the commercial hub for the district. In 1885, a catastrophic cave-in of the area's most productive mine brought the prosperity to a halt. By 1920, the town was abandoned.

How to get there: Frisco is just off state Route 21, about 15 miles northwest of Milford.

THISTLE:

This one-of-a-kind ghost town allows visitors to see firsthand the effects of a 1983 landslide that dammed the Spanish Fork River and left the town underwater.

The history: Thistle began as a farm and ranch town in the 1880s. In 1890, the railroad was established in the area and the town became a service hub for the steam locomotives of the Denver and Rio Grande Western lines. The town hit its peak in the early 1900s, with a population of about 600. In April 1983, heavy rains caused a massive landslide that dammed the Spanish Fork River. Water levels continued to rise, destroying most structures.

How to get there: Thistle is about 16 miles southeast of Spanish Fork. U.S. 89 runs directly through the town and ruins are visible from the highway.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — The month for the annular – or “Ring of Fire” – eclipse is finally here. The day is circled on your calendar and you have your eclipse glasses, now all you need is the best place to see it.

On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 14, the moon will sweep across the face of the sun and Utah is in its direct path. During the eclipse, the moon will never fully block out the sun, leaving what appears to be a ring around it as the sun’s edges appear in a “ring of fire.” The eclipse will begin just after 9 a.m., with the maximum eclipse happening around 10:15 to 10:30 a.m.

While you’ll be able to get a great view of the eclipse no matter where in Utah you are, there are several breathtaking places in the direct path of the eclipse. From National and State Parks to lakes and more, there is no shortage of places to choose from when it comes to your eclipse viewing.

We have put together a list of seven of the best places within the direct path you should consider visiting on the day of the eclipse:

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In Bryce, Utah there is a sprawling concentration of hoodoos, or irregular columns of rock. Sitting along a high plateau at the top of the Grand Staircase, Bryce Canyon National Park’s highest elevations include fantastic views of Utah’s dark skies. While the eclipse will take place in the early morning, Bryce Canyon National Park provides a beautiful backdrop of geological wonders and an environment perfect for astrological viewing.

Just southwest of Moab, Canyonlands National Park is over 500 square miles of deep canyons and mesas. The National Park provides a more remote feel and is home to one of the West’s most photographed landforms, the Mesa Arch, according to Visit Utah. Another beautiful location for stargazing with the unique Southern Utah desert feel, providing a prime location to see the annular eclipse.

If you want to get to a National Park where you don’t have to stray too far from the road, Capitol Reef National Park near Torrey, Utah may be the best place for you to go. An 8-mile scene drive through the national park provides many breathtaking viewpoints along a paved road. The drive makes for an easy-going and casual way to see the eclipse in a dark sky location away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities.

One of the most unique places in Utah, Goblin Valley State Park may be one of if not the best places to see the Ring of Fire eclipse on Oct. 14. Located between Hanksville and Green River, along State Road 24, Goblin Valley is a certified International Dark Sky Park. With sandstone “goblins,” wide open spaces and beautiful plant life, Goblin Valley would be a prime central Utah destination for the eclipse.

If desert scenery isn’t your cup of tea, but you still want to get out in the wilderness, Manti-La Sal National Forest may be the place for you. Located in central Utah, near Ephraim and Manti on U.S. 89, the Manti-La Sal National Forest is a beautiful mix of canyonlands and forest trees. The National Forest also makes for an easy getaway for those seeking a casual eclipse-viewing experience. The Canyons National Scene Byway winds over the Wasatch Plateau at 5,000 to 10,000 feet, according to Visit Utah, with several high-elevation lakes.

A reservoir located in Piute County just north of Antimony, Utah, Otter Creek State Park is an easy destination to see the eclipse. The crystalline lake and nearby hills make for a beautiful viewing of the eclipse. The state park is a place perfect for boaters and campers, and a calming location to take in the breathtaking astrological event.

Beautiful hikes, a gorgeous lake, and a lovely view of the horizon, all within easy reach, you’ll find it all at Palisade State Park. Visit Utah calls the state park a “vacation oasis” situated just two and a half hours south of Salt Lake City. The State Park is located just outside of Sterling, Utah, and makes for an easy and convenient getaway right into the direct path of the annular eclipse.