University of Sydney researchers have found a solution for one of the biggest stumbling blocks preventing zinc-air batteries from overtaking conventional lithium-ion batteries as the power source of choice in electronic devices.

Zinc-air batteries are batteries powered by zinc metal and oxygen from the air. Due to the global abundance of zinc metal, these batteries are much cheaper to produce than lithium-ion batteries, and they can also store more energy – theoretically five times more than that of lithium-ion batteries.

They are also much safer and more environmentally friendly, according to the University of Sydney.

While zinc-air batteries are currently used as an energy source in hearing aids and some film cameras and railway signal devices, their widespread use has been hindered by the fact that, up until now, recharging them has proved difficult.

This is due to the lack of electrocatalysts that successfully reduce and generate oxygen during the discharging and charging of a battery.

A paper authored by chemical engineering researchers from the University of Sydney and Nanyang Technological University outlines a new three-stage method to overcome this problem.

According to lead author Professor Yuan Chen, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies, the new method can be used to create bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for building rechargeable zinc-air batteries from scratch.

https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/zinc-air-batteries-power-university-sydney-research/

Looks like everything’s coming up zinc

interesting read

thanx

this too

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc%E2%80%93air_battery

dv said:

University of Sydney researchers have found a solution for one of the biggest stumbling blocks preventing zinc-air batteries from overtaking conventional lithium-ion batteries as the power source of choice in electronic devices.

Zinc-air batteries are batteries powered by zinc metal and oxygen from the air. Due to the global abundance of zinc metal, these batteries are much cheaper to produce than lithium-ion batteries, and they can also store more energy – theoretically five times more than that of lithium-ion batteries.

They are also much safer and more environmentally friendly, according to the University of Sydney.

While zinc-air batteries are currently used as an energy source in hearing aids and some film cameras and railway signal devices, their widespread use has been hindered by the fact that, up until now, recharging them has proved difficult.

This is due to the lack of electrocatalysts that successfully reduce and generate oxygen during the discharging and charging of a battery.

A paper authored by chemical engineering researchers from the University of Sydney and Nanyang Technological University outlines a new three-stage method to overcome this problem.

According to lead author Professor Yuan Chen, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies, the new method can be used to create bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for building rechargeable zinc-air batteries from scratch.

https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/zinc-air-batteries-power-university-sydney-research/

Looks like everything’s coming up zinc

Runs off to invest in zinc. / \ / \ / \

But what of nano-aluminium?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2142693-nano-aluminium-offers-fuel-cells-on-demand-just-add-water/

The Rev Dodgson said:

But what of nano-aluminium?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2142693-nano-aluminium-offers-fuel-cells-on-demand-just-add-water/

What happened with those ancient Egyptian batteries?

Remember Big Kev, geez he used to get excited.

dv said:

Looks like everything’s coming up zinc

You should be pleased by this DV as you seemed to like zinc.

monkey skipper said:

dv said:

Looks like everything’s coming up zinc

You should be pleased by this DV as you seemed to like zinc.

what gave it away?

dv said:

monkey skipper said:

dv said:

Looks like everything’s coming up zinc

You should be pleased by this DV as you seemed to like zinc.

what gave it away?

Repetitious exclamations of endearment is my suspicion

monkey skipper said:

dv said:

monkey skipper said:

You should be pleased by this DV as you seemed to like zinc.

what gave it away?

Repetitious exclamations of endearment is my suspicion

You’re the modern day Sherlock Holmes

dv said:

monkey skipper said:

dv said:

what gave it away?

Repetitious exclamations of endearment is my suspicion

You’re the modern day Sherlock Holmes

I am in many subtle ways…

Would these be suitable for large industrial applications, say I had a building the size of a Bunnings warehouse filled with rack upon rack of these things?

Tau.Neutrino said:

Runs off to invest in zinc. / \ / \ / \

The concept of zinc-air batteries was big news back in the 1980s, when I first became aware of them.

> While zinc-air batteries are currently used as an energy source in hearing aids and some film cameras and railway signal devices, their widespread use has been hindered by the fact that, up until now, recharging them has proved difficult.

> This is due to the lack of electrocatalysts that successfully reduce and generate oxygen during the discharging and charging of a battery.

Ta, apart from being heavy I didn’t know why they weren’t so popular.

Not suitable for giant installations, for those you want easy recharge and best possible lifespan. Zinc air doesn’t have a good recharge lifespan.

How will this affect Elon’s BIG BATTERY technology,
because that is a joke!

If a BIG ZINC BATTERY was built now using this technology how would it compare to ELON’s ?

mollwollfumble said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Runs off to invest in zinc. / \ / \ / \

The concept of zinc-air batteries was big news back in the 1980s, when I first became aware of them.

> While zinc-air batteries are currently used as an energy source in hearing aids and some film cameras and railway signal devices, their widespread use has been hindered by the fact that, up until now, recharging them has proved difficult.

> This is due to the lack of electrocatalysts that successfully reduce and generate oxygen during the discharging and charging of a battery.

Ta, apart from being heavy I didn’t know why they weren’t so popular.

Not suitable for giant installations, for those you want easy recharge and best possible lifespan. Zinc air doesn’t have a good recharge lifespan.

I knew i should have looked further into this thread;

another enlightening response from someone deserving of respect.

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

There’s heaps of thorium.

What do you think of that energy source?

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

actually, shit is more abundant.

The_observer said:

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

There’s heaps of thorium.

What do you think of that energy source?

I’m cautiously optimistic

roughbarked said:

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

actually, shit is more abundant.

Literally, I think it is not.

dv said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

actually, shit is more abundant.

Literally, I think it is not.

If only because flies don’t eat zinc.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

roughbarked said:

actually, shit is more abundant.

Literally, I think it is not.

If only because flies don’t eat zinc.

Here, let me help you with that rope.

dv said:

The_observer said:

dv said:

In all fairness, on any important technical metric, Li-ion beats Zn-air.

What’s the appeal of zinc-air? It’s cheap as shit compared to lithium, and there is an enormous amount of it.

There’s heaps of thorium.

What do you think of that energy source?

I’m cautiously optimistic

Thorium is essential, when uranium/plutonium runs out.

Checking abundance in Earth’s crust. Lithium is not as rare as you might think.
Zinc 75 ppm
Lithium 20 ppm
Thorium 10 ppm
Uranium 2 ppm

Crustal abundance is not a strong indicator of the amount of useful ore, since some elements form rich ore bodies more easily than others.

e.g. the USGS estimates for identified reserves and total resources (reserves are bodies that can be brought to market at current prices, resources are all ore bodies that could be brought to market in future)

Lithium 9.9 million tonnes reserves, 25.5 million tonnes resources
Zinc 250 million tonnes reserves, 1.9 billion tonnes resources

http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2010/ph240/eason2/
http://metalpedia.asianmetal.com/metal/zinc/resources&production.shtml

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

The_observer said:

There’s heaps of thorium.

What do you think of that energy source?

I’m cautiously optimistic

Thorium is essential, when uranium/plutonium runs out.

If we continue to use nuclear fission as an energy source long term, yes, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a good idea.