Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5149674 | Journal of Power Sources | 2017 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Zinc-air batteries have been proposed for EV applications and large-scale electricity storage such as wind and solar power. Although zinc-air batteries are very promising, there are numerous technological barriers to overcome. We demonstrate for the first time, a new rechargeable zinc-air battery that utilizes a molten Li0.87Na0.63K0.50CO3 eutectic electrolyte with added NaOH. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that a reversible deposition/dissolution of zinc occurs in the molten Li0.87Na0.63K0.50CO3 eutectic. At 550 °C, this zinc-air battery performs with a coulombic efficiency of 96.9% over 110 cycles, having an average charging potential of â¼1.43 V and discharge potential of â¼1.04 V. The zinc-air battery uses cost effective steel and nickel electrodes without the need for any precious metal catalysts. Moreover, the molten salt electrolyte offers advantages over aqueous electrolytes, avoiding the common aqueous alkaline electrolyte issues of hydrogen evolution, Zn dendrite formation, “drying out”, and carbonate precipitation.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Electrochemistry
Authors
Shuzhi Liu, Wei Han, Baochen Cui, Xianjun Liu, Fulin Zhao, Jessica Stuart, Stuart Licht,