Lithium-ion batteries have been ahead of the curve for over a decade now. They are the only compact, lightweight, rechargeable flat batteries that have achieved a volume sufficient for major economies of scale. For a while, naval researchers have been testing the hypothesis ‘ could zinc replace lithium-ion if we reconfigured it?’ Now, they are getting closer to an answer and it is looking positive.
Why ‘Could Zinc Replace Lithium-Ion’ is an Important Question
The military have a dangerous job. One of the things they fear most is fire, what with all the explosives lying around during military action. Lithium-Ion has been receiving its share of bad press.
Think how vulnerable our submariners and pilots are to sudden conflagration. It is no wonder the U.S. Naval Laboratory has been examining the alternatives. These include using zinc as the anode.
How Current Zinc Technology Stacks up Against Lithium-Ion
Zinc metal puts up a sterling performance in single cycle batteries. For a while, we have been wondering could zinc replace lithium-ion ourselves.
However, each time scientists have been stumped by the emergence of ‘dendrites’.
As zinc anodes begin to oxidize, these root-like structures reach out through the electrolyte. If they touch the cathode on the other side, the battery short circuits. This can result in overheating, explosion, or a fire.
What the Naval Researchers Came Up With is Amazing
Battery factories make zinc anodes by binding together zinc powder. This structure soon begins to oxidize with recharging. They found a way to redo this, so there are pockets of space between the granules without preventing them touching.
After they teamed their new zinc anode with a nickel cathode, they ran a 12-volt prototype through 50,000 cycles of activity. It was still in good shape, although the electrolyte needed topping up. So could zinc replace lithium-ion someday? Yes, it could. It could even become the next wonder battery.
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