24th February 2025
A new battery technology that could significantly
reduce the price of electric cars and home battery systems has taken a major
step towards commercialisation.
South Australian
researchers from the University of Adelaide have secured
an A$1 million research contract with a Chinese battery manufacturer to develop
the new technology and bring it to market within 12 months.
The patented design
uses non-toxic zinc and manganese, two metals that are abundant in Australia,
and incombustible aqueous electrolyte to produce a battery with a high-energy
density.
The researchers
estimate the cost of this new electrolytic Zn–Mn battery to be less than US$ 10
per kWh compared with US$ 300 per kWh for current Li-ion batteries, US$ 72 per
kWh for Ni–Fe batteries and US$ 48 per kWh for Lead–acid batteries.
The battery is
designed by Dr Dongliang Chao and Professor Shi-Zhang
Qiao from the University of Adelaide’s School of Chemical Engineering
and Advanced Materials.
The high-energy,
safe battery opens up markets where the battery weight, size and safety are
essential factors, including automotive and aerospace, and domestic and
commercial buildings, and grid-scale energy storage.
Dr Chao said
although there were other Zn-Mn batteries on the market such as the dry cell,
they were not rechargeable or recyclable and did not present high-energy
density due to a different chemical reaction mechanism.
“I can imagine this
battery being used on all vehicle types from small scooters to even diesel
electric trains. Also in homes that need batteries to store solar power, or
even large solar/wind farms,” he said.
“With more
sustainable energy being produced – such as through wind and solar farms –
storing this energy in batteries in a safe, non-expensive and environmentally
sound way is becoming more urgent but current battery materials – including
lithium, lead and cadmium – are expensive, hazardous and toxic.
“Our new
electrolytic battery technology uses the non-toxic zinc and manganese and
incombustible aqueous electrolyte to produce a battery with a high
energy density.”
Dr Chao and
Professor Qiao began working on the project in South Australia about 12 months
ago and patented the technology at the beginning of this year.
Chinese battery
manufacturer Zhuoyue Power New Energy Ltd, whose current batteries are
lead-based, has committed $1 million to develop the new technology.
The ongoing
research work and initial product development will be conducted in Adelaide
with manufacturing expected to take place in Australia and China.
Dr Chao said the
project would combine the new electrolytic battery technology and the company’s
battery assembling technology.
“In addition, the
battery uses basic materials and simple manufacturing processes so will be much
cheaper to produce and easier to recycle than existing batteries of comparable
energy density,” Dr Chao said.
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