TELF AG examines a possible improvement in the performance of zinc batteries

Performance and safety

In the battery sector, one of the most important challenges is increasing the performance and safety of devices through new experiments, which sometimes include using new combinations of materials to obtain the best results.

One of the possible innovations in this sector, so important for the future development of humanity, comes directly from South Korea, and in particular from the Korea Institute of Energy Research, where a team of researchers has managed to develop a new production system that keeps the formation of dendrites under control in some types of batteries, such as aqueous zinc-based ones.

Dendrites are particular branched metal structures that could form during the charging and discharging processes of the battery, generally developing inside the electrolyte and spreading on the surface of the anode. Their appearance inside batteries represents a serious problem for the device’s safety, as they could cause short circuits between the two electrodes and a general reduction in battery performance, shortening its life.

The research team tried to counteract the formation of dendrites by using particular processes and materials, such as copper oxide. In recent years, the most widespread method for counteracting the formation of dendrites was represented by the addition of some promoting elements such as copper, which contributed to the initial growth of zinc and its uniform deposition, i.e. one of the most important processes for the efficiency, safety, and duration of batteries (an irregular deposition of this material, in fact, can cause short circuits and reduce the performance of the battery).

However, the problem with this original approach was that the dendrites would reappear again with subsequent charge and discharge cycles of the battery. To overcome this problem, researchers have developed a new method to control dendrite formation using copper oxide, which, like normal copper, promotes the growth and deposition of zinc. The difference is that copper oxide has an optimized conductivity that promotes the deposition of zinc uniformly, making it more efficient than that obtained with normal copper, and therefore also obtaining excellent results in controlling dendrite formation.

Longer-lasting batteries

According to the study published in Advanced Energy Materials, electrodes made with this method and applied to batteries would have a lifespan of 10 times longer than traditional batteries. In traditional aqueous zinc batteries, dendrites can compromise the performance of the device, whose capacity drops below 80% after only 300 charge and discharge cycles. With the method developed by Korean researchers, however, the batteries can maintain 80% of their functionality even after 3,000 cycles, a result obtained mainly thanks to the suppression and tight control over the formation of dendrites.

Over the years, copper oxide has been appreciated for its chemical, electrical, and catalytic properties, making it a valid ally in various industrial sectors. This resource is a semiconductor in various electronic devices, including solar cells. The chemical industry often uses it as a valid catalyst for various oxidation reactions, and it is also used as a pigment or additive in various types of coatings.