Although lithium-ion batteries are the main energy storage devices today, many research groups and manufacturers are still trying to find more stable and effective energy storage technologies than lithium-ion batteries. The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has successfully developed these technologies recently. Magnesium solid-state batteries, and the battery prototype energy density and material cost are better than lithium-ion batteries.
The content of magnesium earth is richer than lithium ore, the cost is lower, and the electricity is also advertised as twice that of lithium battery, but there are still many obstacles to be surpassed.
It is reasonable to say that the battery ions can flow through the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes, and the battery is powered by the electrochemical reaction, and the reaction must be reversible, otherwise the battery cannot be charged, but the carbonate in the magnesium battery ) The electrolyte easily forms a barrier on the surface of magnesium during charge and discharge cycles, preventing battery charging.
Although magnesium can also be charged and discharged through a highly corrosive liquid electrolyte, if a corrosive electrolyte is used, the magnesium battery will not be able to operate at a high voltage and there is also a safety concern. NREL therefore develops a new type of electrolyte that uses polyacrylonitrile and magnesium. The ion-salt (magnesium-ion salt) is mixed into a solid electrolyte to protect the magnesium anode and improve battery performance.
Researchers have now succeeded in building Mg solid-state battery prototypes. The study also pointed out that protected magnesium anodes can also be charged in carbonate electrolytes and provide more energy. In addition, the research team has succeeded in the development of recyclable magnesium. The battery also provides an inconsistent solution of the anode and the electrolyte and solves the limitation of the ion to the cathode.
Magnesium has a very rich content of earth, ranking eighth in reserves, and magnesium as an alkaline earth metal with a valence of 2, which provides nearly twice the amount of electricity compared to lithium with a valence number of 1, plus that magnesium will not To generate dendrites, the battery will not have a risk of explosion. If the magnesium battery is successfully implemented and commercialized, it will be of great benefit to the rapidly growing battery market.
"As a scientific researcher, we are always thinking about what to do next?" NREL Materials Science scientist Chunmei Ban said that the lithium-ion battery power that is dominant in energy storage has gradually reached the peak, so there is an urgent need to find a new generation of storage Energy technology, and the new battery must also be able to provide more power at a lower cost. NREL scientist Seoung-Bum Son pointed out that this discovery will help to lay the ground for the future of magnesium batteries.
