Lithium-ion batteries are gradually becoming an elephant in the lounge that device makers won’t mention. That’s because they know lithium is a scarce resource. They must also know of the risk of fire, and user injuries. Yet they keep churning out lithium ion e cigarettes and smart phones regardless. Finally a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras has asked could iron batteries replace lithium ones?
Could Iron Batteries Really Do That?
Chemistry professor M.V. Sangaranarayanan of the Madras Institute believes iron batteries are a potential runner. “It’s important to look for new and abundantly available electrode materials,” he says because of lithium’s limitations.
“Moreover, iron has favorable physico-chemical properties like lithium,” physics professor R Sundara adds. The pair are no longer wondering could iron batteries substitute for lithium ones. That’s because they know the redox potential of iron is higher. And the radius of the Fe2+ ion is nearly the same as that of the lithium ion one too. Redox, or reduction potential is the ability of a chemical substance to lose or gain ions.
Iron Battery Experiment
We Have Overlooked These Favorable Properties for Many Years
“These two favourable properties of iron have been overlooked for so many years,” they told The Hindu news service. “And that’s the reason why we don’t have iron-ion rechargeable batteries.” Their thinking favors using a mild steel anode.
They have put their prototype iron battery through 150 charge / discharge cycles. It still retained 54% capacity after the first 50 of these. They say iron is more stable during the charging process “and therefore it prevents short-circuiting of the batteries”. It is also cheaper and more stable than lithium-ion. They are tweaking their battery’s performance by exploring metal oxide varieties.
“When more iron-ions bind to the cathode, more energy can be stored in the battery. This leads to improved performance,” they explain. Could iron batteries be a way forward?
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