Aluminum Batteries
February 6th, 2025Via: IEEE Spectrum:
Electric vehicles( EVs) and green energy sources rely heavily on batteries to store electricity. Currently, more than 75 percent of the world’s energy storage depends on batteries that contain lithium, an expensive mineral that’s subject to volatile pricing. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries themselves can be volatile, too, because they use a flammable electrolyte that can catch fire when overcharged.
Now, a group of scientists based in Beijing believes that aluminum offers a better solution. Aluminum is the third-most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust and costs about one-quarter as much as lithium. And if built right, aluminum-based batteries may offer longer life expectancy and a safer, more sustainable design than their volatile counterparts. Led by scientists from the Beijing Institute of Technology and the University of Science and Technology Beijing, the group has found a way to stabilize aluminum batteries that can last far longer.
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The new battery structure should be easy to manufacture at commercial scale. But before the Al-ion battery is ready for commercial applications, its energy density will need to be improved, the researchers say. Still, this new approach offers the potential for batteries that are safer, less expensive, longer lasting, and easier to recycle efficiently.
