Zinc batteries

Zinc-air batteries could replace classic lithium-ion batteries, taking into account a new finding by a team of researchers.

Zinc-air batteries use zinc and oxygen from the air to provide electrical power. Due to the abundance of zinc on our planet, these types of batteries are much cheaper to produce than lithium-ion batteries and can store up to five times the amount of current than a classic battery.

Zinc-air batteries could replace classic lithium-ion batteries in the near future

These batteries are normally used in hearing aids, in certain photo cameras and also level crossing signaling devices. The reason they are not used on a larger scale is the fact that they are difficult to recharge due to the lack of electrocatalysts.

In a recent study published in the scientific journal Advanced Materials, carried out by engineers from the University of Sydney and Nanyang University of Technology, a method that could solve this problem is presented.

According to Professor Yuan Chen, "Zinc-air batteries have until now been made from expensive catalyst materials, such as platinum or iridium oxide, but our new method proposes inexpensive, high-performance catalysts."

By means of a new working method, functional electrocatalysts can be created to help create much more efficient zinc-air batteries.

The new catalysts are created by simultaneously controlling the composition, size and crystallization of metal oxides from materials such as iron, cobalt and nickel. These principles can be applied to create zinc-air batteries capable of being efficiently recharged.

Study co-author Li Wei says tests with zinc-air batteries with the new catalysts showed excellent rechargeability. Battery efficiency dropped by less than 10% after 60 charge-discharge cycles of approximately 120 hours.

Source: TechExplore