While modern life provides the US with the luxury of storing and transporting electrical energy, it has also brought about its own set of problems, particularly the extraction of resources. Lithium, a crucial component for electric vehicle batteries, is one of the most concerning of these resources. Lithium mining is no easy task, and it requires the use of chemicals like sulfur acid and sodium hydroxide, which can poison the local ecosystem and lead to the diversion of huge quantities of local fresh water. Deforestation and a whole lot else In fact, while electric cars significantly reduce emissions compared to traditional combustion engines, their production actually contributes to more pollution. Additionally, the availability of lithium resources is limited, and like any other resource, it will eventually run out. As newer methods are required to reach deeper or more challenging reserves alongside lithium-ion batteries, the cost of lithium extraction will rise.
Australia and China worked on Batteries of the Future
There are several other types with different uses around the world, such as alkaline lead acid and nickel cadmium, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. All of this is why finding a more sustainable or cheaper resource for batteries would have far-reaching benefits for the world, as well as the future of things like mobile device transportation and solar panel efficiency. This year, two teams, one from Australia and the other from China, have achieved exactly what they set out to do. The Australian team, under the leadership of researchers from the Raw, Melbourne Institute Technology has developed what they call recyclable water batteries. In every battery, you need a positive end called the cathode, a negative end called the anode, and an electrolyte that connects the two and turns chemical energy into electrical energy, usually.
Water-based electrolytes
Because the electrolyte, like sulfuric acid in the case of lead-acid batteries, is a hazardous material, you shouldn’t dispose of most types of batteries in the same trash as the rest of your household, as this could cause issues with their disposal in the future. The Australian team’s breakthrough is that their prototype battery electrolyte is none other than water with a little bit of salt in it. The Australian team has named their invention an aqueous metal-ion battery, which offers the advantage of easy removal and replacement once the water-based electrolyte runs out of charge, potentially extending the battery’s lifespan. Infinitely, water-based electrolytes don’t pose the risk of chemical pollution that lead acid batteries do, and they don’t carry the risk of intense fires that lithium iron batteries do. Not only that, but they’re also much cheaper. So far, the team has created prototypes of several small-scale batteries.
Dendroides
Each battery, akin to the small cell-type batteries in watches, possesses the capability to recharge at least 500 times and maintains 80% of its capacity even after over 700 charging cycles. One of the keys to maintaining its capacity is the team’s innovative use of rust, which normally occurs over the lifespan of a tiny metal battery. Spurs, called dendroides, will form on the anode. This can eventually reduce the batter’s effectiveness and its capacity to hold a charge.
Fudan University Announcement
Meanwhile, a team in China has come up with a different solution. Calcium scientists from Fudan University announced in February 2024 that they had created a calcium-based battery that could handle 700 recharging cycles. Calcium is far more abundant than lithium, which is about 2,500 times more abundant on its own, making up about 4% of the Earth’s crust. It’s the third most common metal if the number of recharging cycles can be improved, as well as their size and overall power. This on its own promises a much cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries, but there’s another aspect of calcium that makes it even more attractive. Calcium batteries are highly flexible, and their creators have demonstrated the ability to build small-scale models into thin fabrics, potentially offering a glimpse of the next generation.
Calcium-Oxygen Battery
 There is hope for a specific variant, the calcium-oxygen battery, which could potentially have the highest total capacity and energy density among wearable devices disguised as everyday clothing. These batteries would extract oxygen from the air to generate power, a significant technological advancement. However, these systems are unstable at room temperature. They require far more energy to maintain than they can currently deliver. Regardless, with 2024’s announcement of water and calcium batteries, the future of energy is looking pretty.
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Dr. Abid Hussain Nawaz
Ph.D
