A global consortium of researchers and industry partners, led by RMIT University, has devised recyclable ‘water batteries’ that are immune to combustion or explosions.
While lithium-ion energy storage dominates the market due to its technological maturity, concerns over safety stemming from volatile materials within limit its suitability for large-scale grid energy storage.
Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma, the lead researcher, highlighted that their batteries represent the forefront of an emerging field of aqueous energy storage devices, boasting breakthroughs that significantly enhance performance and longevity.
Employing water to replace organic electrolytes, which facilitate electric current flow between terminals, ensures their batteries are incapable of ignition or explosion, in contrast to lithium-ion counterparts.
Addressing challenges of end-of-life disposal common in current energy storage technologies, their batteries can be safely disassembled, with materials available for reuse or recycling.
The straightforward manufacturing processes for their water batteries facilitate mass production, utilizing abundant, cost-effective, and less toxic materials such as magnesium and zinc, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and mitigating risks to human health and the environment.
The team has conducted small-scale trial batteries for numerous peer-reviewed studies, addressing various technological hurdles, including enhancing energy storage capacity and lifespan.
In their recent breakthrough published in Advanced Materials, they overcame a significant challenge – dendrite growth – by applying a protective layer of bismuth and its oxide on battery parts, ensuring prolonged durability comparable to commercial lithium-ion batteries.
With remarkable capacity and extended lifespan, their batteries are seamlessly integrated with solar panels, demonstrating efficient and stable renewable energy storage.
The team’s water batteries are narrowing the energy density gap with lithium-ion technology, aiming for maximum power per unit volume.
Their magnesium-ion water battery showcases an energy density of 75 watt-hours per kilogram, approaching 30% of the latest Tesla car batteries.
Moving forward, the team aims to enhance energy density by developing new nanomaterials as electrode materials, with magnesium emerging as the material of choice.
Their batteries hold promise for large-scale applications such as grid storage and renewable energy integration, with potential for smaller-scale applications like residential and entertainment device power.
Supported by peer-reviewed research, government funding, and industry collaboration, their technology is continuously evolving through partnerships with GrapheneX and other global experts, facilitating knowledge exchange and access to cutting-edge facilities.
