Powder Metallurgy seen as route to high-energy density magnesium batteries for smart electrical grids
July 12, 2011
Magnesium-based batteries are, in theory, a very attractive alternative to other batteries according to a report from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, WV, part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Magnesium (Mg) is cheap – costing a fraction of metallic lithium, safe, lightweight, and its compounds are usually non-toxic. The report stated that Mg provides a theoretical specific capacity of 2,205 ampere-hours/kilogram, making it an attractive high-energy density battery system.
Furthermore, it provides two electrons per atom and has electrochemical characteristics similar to Li (12 grams-per-Faraday [g/F], compared to 7 g/F for Li or 23 g/F for sodium).
Proper design and architecture should lead to Mg-based batteries with energy densities of 400-1,100 watt-hour per kilogram for an open circuit voltage in the range of 0.8 – 2.1 V, which would make it an attractive candidate for electrical grid energy storage and stationary back-up energy.
To make Mg-based batteries practical, researchers at NETL are developing novel alloys of Mg doped with different elements such as calcium, zinc, and yttrium. These alloys are being produced by melting and casting as well as powder metallurgy.
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