Zinc air batteries: New research points to them as the future compared to lithium
The recent Edith Cowan University study on the advancement of sustainable battery systems suggests that zinc-air batteries are a better alternative to lithium chemistries. The research paper reporting the research and findings was published in the journal EcoMat.
Dr Muhammad Rizwan Azhar of Edith Cowan University (ECU) led the project as lithium-ion batteries, the most widely used today, are said to have too many limitations related to cost and material availability compared to already available alternatives
The researcher explains “ Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZAB) are becoming increasingly attractive due to their low cost, environmental friendliness, high theoretical energy density and intrinsic safety. As next-generation electric long-range vehicles and aircraft emerge on the market, there is a growing need for safer, more cost-effective, high-performance battery systems that can surpass the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries.”
Zinc-air: how this battery works
A zinc-air battery consists of a negative electrode of zinc and a positive electrode of air.
The main drawback of these electrodes so far has been limited power, due to the poor performance of air electrodes and their short life.
The ECU breakthrough allowed engineers to use a combination of new materials, such as carbon, iron and cobalt-based minerals, to redesign zinc-air batteries.
Dr Azhar noted, “The new design was so efficient that it suppressed the internal resistance of the batteries and their voltage was close to the theoretical voltage, which resulted in high peak power density and very long life stability. duration. In addition to revolutionizing the energy storage industry, this breakthrough contributes significantly to building a sustainable society by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating environmental impacts."
'Using natural resources, such as zinc from Australia and air, further improves the cost-effectiveness and future-proofing of these innovative zinc-air batteries,' added Dr. Azhar.
A valid and reliable accumulator
Dr Azhar said that although renewable resources such as solar, wind and hydroelectricity play a vital role in the future of green energy, they are not completely reliable solutions as they are intermittent sources of energy.
“Thanks to the abundance of zinc available in countries like Australia and the ubiquity of the air, this becomes a highly viable and reliable energy storage solution,” explained Dr. Azhar. In the picture: world producers of zinc
The ECU's redesign of zinc-air batteries brings Australia closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement targets, established in late 2015 to underscore the need for sustainable energy resources to limit climate change.
Obviously the production of zinc-air batteries, with fractional costs compared to lithium ones, would displace the latter commercially. A real revolution in electric mobility that could make it convenient.
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The article Zinc air batteries: new research indicates how the future with respect to lithium comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/batterie-zinco-aria-una-nuova-ricerca-le-indica-come-il-futuro-rispetto-al-litio/ on Fri, 01 Sep 2023 06:00:17 +0000.