U.S. researchers have developed a rechargeable water-based zinc battery that not only has a large capacity, has a long life, but is also safer, and is expected to become an ideal alternative to widely used lithium batteries.
For batteries, small size, large capacity, long life, high safety, and low manufacturing cost are ideal quality requirements, but batteries that combine these characteristics are still difficult to find. Take a wide range of consumer electronics products For Lithium batteries, although the volume, volume, life, etc., are remarkable, their explosion risks make many people criticize.
And this time, the research team of researchers from the Army Research Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the University of Maryland combines traditional zinc cell technology with water cell technology to develop greater capacity and safety. Rechargeable batteries. They use a new type of water-containing electrolyte to replace the flammable organic electrolyte used in traditional lithium-ion batteries, greatly improving the safety of the battery; and by adding metal zinc and adding salt in the electrolyte, the battery is effectively improved. The energy density.
The researchers pointed out that the zinc battery is a safe and relatively low production 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 the traditional zinc battery, not only greatly The energy density of the battery is improved, and the battery life is also prolonged. Compared with the lithium battery, the water-based zinc battery can not only be higher in terms of energy density, but also much safer, without explosion or fire. risk.
Researchers are full of confidence in the commercialization of new water-based zinc batteries. They said that the new batteries will eventually be used not only for consumer electronics but also as a strong competitor for lithium batteries. They can also be used in extreme environments such as space and the deep sea. Space exploration, deep sea exploration and military fields are all in use.
Relevant research results were published in the latest issue of "Nature·Material" magazine.
