via POSTECH
Professor Changshin Jo’s research team at POSTECH confirms the superiority of seawater batteries that use chelating agents
Water blankets around 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Moreover, 97 percent of all the water on earth is seawater, which is impotable because of its salt content. But what if we could harness its potential as a new source of renewable energy?
Recently, a research team led by Professor Changshin Jo (Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Energy Materials Technology (GIFT), Department of Chemical Engineering) and Ph.D. candidate Hyebin Jeong (Chemical Engineering) at POSTECH has made strides in this area by confirming the superior performance of seawater batteries (SWBs) that incorporate chelating agents.*1 Their findings were published in Chemical Engineering Journal.
Lithium-ion batteries have become ubiquitous in portable electronic devices and automotive batteries. However, they are not without limitations, as they present a risk of explosion and may become unusable if lithium supplies are depleted. To address these challenges, the development of next-generation batteries is currently underway. Among them, seawater batteries represent a promising option that utilizes Na-ions found in seawater to generate energy. These batteries offer the distinct advantage of easy resource accessibility and are environmentally friendly, as they require no separate treatment processes.
The high salinity of seawater can be attributed to the presence of Na-ions, which are utilized by seawater batteries to generate and store electrical energy as they move back and forth between the cathode and anode. However, one of the challenges in suing nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) as an intercalation cathode material for SWBs is the high occurrence of defects during fabrication. To address this issue, the research team synthesize NiHCF with a chelating agent (Sample A) and compared its performance with untreated NiHCF (Sample B) to evaluate the effectiveness of the chelating agent.
A look at the two samples under a microscope reveals the striking difference in their shape and structure. Sample B consists of randomly aggregated nanosized primary particles to form micro-level particles, whereas Sample A comprises individual 200-300 nanometer-sized cubic-shaped particles. Although the individual particle size of Sample B is smaller, it is less advantageous for battery production due to the aggregation of multiple particles into larger cohesive structures.
The researchers additionally assessed the electrochemical performance of both samples. Firstly, they measured the water content, and it was found that Sample A had lower water content than Sample B did. Generally, higher water content tends to impede electrochemical performance. Furthermore, measurements of current and voltage showed that Sample A had high energy efficiency and capacity.
The research team achieved a groundbreaking feat by performing 2,000 cycles of charging and discharging on batteries using two samples, where Sample A demonstrated a remarkable capacity retention rate of approximately 92.8%. Furthermore, the defect generation rate, a previous drawback of NiHCF, was observed to decrease to 6% in Sample A.
The results of the study demonstrate the superior performance achieved by adding a chelating agent to nickel hexacyanoferrate and using this as a cathode material in seawater batteries. This discovery can promote the development of seawater batteries as a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage systems.
Original Article: Is the Ocean a Solution for Ushering in the Era of Environmentally Friendly Energy?
More from: Pohang University of Science and Technology
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Seawater batteries
- Startup wants to build air-based battery & sink it in sea, here’s why
When renewable energy plants generate excess power, say on a sunny or windy day, the additional power is used to run large air compressors. These compressors fill rigid tanks with high-pressure air ...
- Sailing around the world with zero emissions
Essentially a floating research laboratory, the vessel has been sailing around the world over the last seven years using hydrogen fuel cells, wind propulsion, solar panels, batteries and hydropower to ...
- Sea-bed 'air batteries' offer cheaper long-term energy storage
Israeli company BaroMar is preparing to test a clever new angle on grid-level energy storage, which it says will be the cheapest way to stabilize renewable grids over longer time scales. This ...
- Deep sea mining can provide metals for the green transition
CMJ: As a conversation starter, could you please talk to us briefly about the history of deep sea mining and The Metals Company (TMC)? Also, how did you join TMC? CS: To tell the history of TMC, I ...
- Saudi Arabia charges into EV market, hunts for lithium treasure
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is eager to manufacture its own batteries for electric vehicles. In pursuit of this goal, the Saudis have initiated the search for new lithium deposits. Currently, China ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Energy storage systems
- PVSTAR’s One-Stop Photovoltaic Products and Solutions Shine at Solar & Storage Live Australia, Overseas Exhibition Second Stop
On May 1st to 2nd, the two-day Solar & Storage Live exhibition took place in Brisbane, Australia. PVSTAR showcased its one-stop photovoltaic products and solutions, marking the second overseas ...
- How is energy storage the key to renewable power goals?
Through new management and orchestration systems, large energy users can be rewarded for their storage and resupply capabilities, as well as demand side management to support peak usage across the ...
- Atmos Energy Corporation Reports Earnings for Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter; Raises Fiscal 2024 Guidance
Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) today reported consolidated results for its second fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024. This news release should ...
- Solar & Storage Live Philippines Leading Sustainability And Innovation In The Philippines Energy Sector
energy storage systems, smart grids, and renewable energy integration solutions that are revolutionizing the way we generate, distribute, and consume electricity. 120+ speakers covering the latest and ...
- Sunrun’s ‘CalReady’ Power Plant Supports California’s Grid with 16,200 Home Solar-Plus-Storage Systems
During the five months of the program, the California Energy Commission could call upon Sunrun’s enrolled solar-plus-storage systems up to 35 times to supply supplemental energy to the grid and the ...