Rechargeable water-based zinc batteries expected to replace lithium-ion batteries
U.S. researchers have developed a rechargeable water-based zinc battery that not only has high capacity, long life, but is also safer, and is expected to be an ideal replacement for the widely used lithium-ion batteries.
For batteries, small size, large capacity, long life, high safety, and low manufacturing cost are ideal quality requirements, but batteries that integrate these characteristics are still difficult to find. Take lithium batteries widely used in consumer electronics products. Although they are remarkable in terms of capacity, volume, and lifespan, their explosion risk has been criticized by many people.
This time, a research team composed of researchers from the University of Maryland, the Army Research Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology combined traditional zinc battery technology with water battery technology to develop a larger capacity and safer battery. rechargeable battery. They used a new type of aqueous electrolyte to replace the flammable organic electrolyte used in traditional lithium-ion batteries, which greatly improved the safety of the battery; and by adding metal zinc and adding salt to the electrolyte, the energy density of the battery was effectively improved.
The researchers noted that zinc batteries are safe and relatively inexpensive to produce, but are not perfect due to their low energy density and short lifespan. The new water-based zinc battery overcomes these shortcomings of the traditional zinc battery, which not only greatly improves the energy density of the battery, but also prolongs the battery life. Compared to lithium batteries, water-based zinc batteries are not only comparable in energy density, but are also much safer, with no risk of explosion or fire.
The researchers are confident in the commercialization prospects of the new water-based zinc battery. They said that the new type of battery will eventually not only be used in consumer electronics and become a strong competitor of lithium batteries, but also be used in extreme environments such as space and deep sea.
