Water-based zinc battery instead of lithium battery, is the technological breakthrough still a gimmick?

After developing water-based lithium batteries last year, the University of Maryland has developed water-based zinc batteries. Can this be commercialized this time?

American researchers have developed a rechargeable water-based zinc battery that is not only large in capacity, long in life, but also safer, and is expected to be an ideal replacement for lithium batteries that are widely used today.

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For batteries, small size, large capacity, long life, high safety, and low manufacturing cost are all ideal quality requirements, but batteries with these characteristics are still difficult to find. Take lithium batteries, which are widely used in consumer electronics, although they are remarkable in terms of capacity, volume, and longevity, but the risk of explosion has caused many people to fall ill.

The research team of the University of Maryland, the Army Research Laboratory, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers combined traditional zinc battery technology with water battery technology to develop a larger capacity and higher safety rechargeable battery. They use a new type of aqueous electrolyte to replace the flammable organic electrolyte used in traditional lithium-ion batteries, which greatly improves the safety of the battery. By adding metal zinc and adding salt to the electrolyte, the energy density of the battery is effectively improved.

The researchers pointed out that zinc batteries are a safe and relatively low-cost battery, but the energy density is low and the life is short, so it is not perfect. The new water-based zinc battery overcomes these shortcomings of traditional zinc batteries, which not only greatly increases the energy density of the battery, but also extends the battery life. Compared with lithium batteries, water-based zinc batteries are not only superior in terms of energy density, but also much safer, without the risk of explosion or fire.

Researchers are confident about the commercialization of new water-based zinc batteries. They say that the new battery will eventually be used not only in consumer electronics, but also as a strong competitor for lithium batteries. It can also be used in extreme environments such as space and deep sea, and it can be used inspecial, deep-sea exploration and military fields.

The relevant research results are published in the latest issue of Nature Materials.

In fact, as early as last September, researchers at the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the University of Maryland first developed lithium-ion batteries that use water-salt solutions as electrolytes to meet the needs of home electronics (such as laptops). 4.0 volts, and does not have the risk of fire and explosion from certain commercially available non-aqueous lithium ion batteries.

According to Dr. KangXu, an ARL researcher specializing in electrochemistry and materials science and the lead author of the study, the technology will provide soldiers with a completely safe and flexible lithium-ion battery with the same energy as a SOA lithium-ion battery. density. Even in the case of severe mechanical abuse, the battery is still not in danger of fire and explosion.

Comments: The water-based system is effective in improving battery safety. From solid-state batteries to graphene batteries and now water-based zinc batteries, new battery concepts are always emerging, but as of now in practical applications. There is no battery that can truly achieve breakthroughs and achieve industrialization. New battery technologies can be concerned, but these so-called new technologies are more in the concept of speculation, and the industry should pay more attention to whether new technologies have the conditions for industrialization in the near future.

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