Improved cycling behavior of ZEBRA battery operated at intermediate temperature of 175 °C

Operation of the sodium-nickel chloride battery at temperatures below 200 °C reduces cell degradation and improves cyclability. One of the main technical issues with operating this battery at intermediate temperatures such as 175 °C is the poor wettability of molten sodium on β″-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE), which causes reduced active area and limits charging. In order to overcome the poor wettability of molten sodium on BASE at 175 °C, a Pt grid was applied on the anode side of the BASE using a screen printing technique. Cells with their active area increased by metallized BASEs exhibited deeper charging and stable cycling behavior.