From Zinc-Air to Titanium-Air: A Breakthrough in Battery Efficiency

A titanium-air battery has been tested by researchers for the first time and could store up to three times more energy than standard batteries.

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The TAB (titanium-air battery) could be a major advantage over the zinc-air combination used in small devices like hearing aids and sensors.

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The scientists conducted a study at the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, a German institute.

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The battery’s potential The researchers used me by using an ionic liquid made of salt and with a low melting point.

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TAB may be used for large-scale stationery storage systems, using low-cost, common, and non-toxic materials, and could replace lithium, a more expensive resource.

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Theoretically, metal-air batteries, such as TAB, have two to three times the energy density of zinc-air batteries.

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As titanium is the ninth-most frequently occurring material in the earth’s crust, the resources available are abundant.

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Oxygen is obtained by metal-air batteries from the ambient air via a special electrode, allowing for significantly higher energy densities than common battery types.

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Researchers at Julich and the Technion collaborated closely in developing the concept of a new battery.

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An ionic liquid called EMim(HF)2.3F was used to store electrical energy in the titanium.

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The TAB’s theoretically achievable voltage is in a similar range to that of the zinc batteries.

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The Technion,Forschungszentrum Julich, and RWTH Aachen University have an umbrella cooperation trilaterally.

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A special focus is placed by the umbrella cooperation on the integration of young scientists and generating initial ideas for joint research projects.

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The Chemical Engineering Journal published the findings of the team under the title "Exempli gratia non-aqueous Ti-air battery".

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Life Science & Engineering: Data Analytics, Neurosciences, and Multiscale Biomedical Engineering will be the focus of the next Umbrella Symposium in 2023.

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