Invention of liquid zinc battery that can prevent explosions

Researchers think they have found a safer and more durable zinc battery that uses aqueous electrolytes (with added zinc salts) that can prevent the possibility of explosions like lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering have created a new zinc battery that uses an aqueous electrolyte instead of the flammable electrolyte found in lithium-ion batteries. However, to keep the battery durable and long-lasting, the team added zinc and metal salts.

To keep the battery durable and long-lasting, the team added zinc and metal salts.

One of the paper's authors and a contributor to the A. James Clark School (UMD), Fei Wang, said:“We have a battery that can compete with lithium-ion batteries in energy density, but without the risk of explosion or fire.”

This breakthrough could have a huge impact on the consumer electronics industry. A typical example is the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which had to be recalled in 2016 after the device's battery repeatedly caught fire. The battery problems were discovered after extensive testing at manufacturing plants and were fixed by Samsung in the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8, which are currently on sale.

The team hopes the advance could be commercialized and replace the flammable lithium-ion batteries in most consumer electronics today.

This aqueous zinc battery is rechargeable and, unlike other zinc batteries, does not require the electrolyte to be refilled with water. The team believes they have found a way to reduce the production costs of this type of battery.

Improving lithium-ion batteries is a big area of ​​research right now. Belgian company Imec is developing a lithium ion battery with a nano-solid electrolyte (it starts as a liquid but then turns solid).

Not only UMD but many other research groups have also realized that wet batteries are safer and more efficient, but often come with high costs. For electric vehicles, solid-state batteries often have low conductivity, which is bad news for the charging process. However, UMD hopes to produce batteries that can charge in 20 minutes and help cars travel longer distances by 2024.

The new zinc battery research was published Monday in the journal Nature Materials.