March 28, 2023
The batteries whose effectiveness was demonstrated in the current study are more environmentally friendly, safe to use and characterized by high energy density. Titanium is a common chemical element, and ranks ninth in the list of common materials in the earth’s crust
In the photo above: Prof. Yair Ein-Eli next to a graphic illustration of the properties of the titanium-air battery
Researchers at the Technion and the Yulich Institute in Germany developed an innovative titanium-air battery, and verified its effectiveness experimentally. The battery was developed in collaboration between Dr. Yassin Amri Dormos, from the Yulich Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Prof. Rudiger Eichel and Prof. Yair Ein-Eli from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technion. The results of the study were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. Batteries are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy using an electrolyte (an ion-conducting material) and two electrodes immersed in it. One of the electrodes (the one with low voltage) removes electrons in the external circuit (which activates the electrical equipment), and the other electrode receives the electrons.
The electrochemical process takes place within the electrolytic medium that contains ions, and this is how the total electric current needed to operate the electronic equipment and to discharge the cell (battery) is created. Metal-air batteries are a family of batteries in which one of the electrodes is made of an active metal (with very low voltage), and the other electrode is a thin membrane that allows the entry and reaction of air, and more precisely oxygen. Since the oxygen comes from the atmosphere there is no need to store it, thus saving valuable space (volume) and weight inside the battery. Hence the energy content of this type of battery should be higher compared to other batteries.
A common and high-energy element
If so, what is the optimal metal for metal-air batteries? To date, mainly lithium, zinc, iron, aluminum and silicon have been studied. Zinc-air batteries, for example, are already used in control devices, sensors and hearing aids, but they are characterized by low energy density, and therefore they provide energy for a relatively short time. Titanium-air batteries, the effectiveness of which was demonstrated in the current study, are characterized by a much higher energy density, so they are expected to provide energy content for twice as long or more.
It should be noted that titanium is a common chemical element, and ranks ninth in the list of common materials in the earth’s crust. Titanium is also known as a resistant, stable and extremely durable metal, which does not react with the environment and not even with the most aggressive reagents, and this is due to the fact that titanium is covered with an effective and very durable oxide protective layer. The researchers were able to remove only the strong protective layer of the titanium, using a unique electrolyte they developed, and by doing so they were able to harness the chemical potential of the exposed titanium metal for the purposes of conversion to electrical energy. In experiments they demonstrated an electrical energy content hundreds of percent higher than that of zinc-air batteries.
Posted in the categories: energy and environment, news, science
Posted in tags: titanium, technion, battery
