New eco-friendly battery made of seeds and pine resin
LONDON:
Researchers have used a clever recycling strategy to develop a new
eco-friendly battery using materials from alfalfa (lucerne seed) and
pine resin.
"We think our discovery can open several doors to more environment-friendly, energy-efficient solutions for the batteries of the future," said Daniel Brandell, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, and one of the researchers behind the idea.
"We think our discovery can open several doors to more environment-friendly, energy-efficient solutions for the batteries of the future," said Daniel Brandell, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, and one of the researchers behind the idea.
Present-day
lithium batteries entail a number of resource-related and
environmental problems. The world's commercially extractable lithium
resources are limited and whether they can meet future needs is
unclear.
Moreover, it is very difficult to recover lithium from the inorganic materials used to make modern batteries.
Moreover, it is very difficult to recover lithium from the inorganic materials used to make modern batteries.
Lithium
batteries also contain other, even rarer materials that are hard to
replace and require large energy inputs and toxic chemicals for the
recovery process.
In their latest study, researchers at Uppsala University's Angstrom Laboratory have developed a whole new battery concept.
The battery is based on recovery and renewable biological material with an energy content corresponding to that of current lithium-ion batteries.
In their latest study, researchers at Uppsala University's Angstrom Laboratory have developed a whole new battery concept.
The battery is based on recovery and renewable biological material with an energy content corresponding to that of current lithium-ion batteries.
Components
of the battery are made of renewable organic biomaterials from
alfalfa and pine resin, and can be recycled with a low energy input
and non-hazardous chemicals, such as ethanol and water.
Although present-day batteries contain non-renewable inorganic materials, this is not the first time batteries composed of renewable materials have been presented. But the recycling and recovery strategy is a wholly new concept, researchers said.
Although present-day batteries contain non-renewable inorganic materials, this is not the first time batteries composed of renewable materials have been presented. But the recycling and recovery strategy is a wholly new concept, researchers said.
Constructing
a new battery from a spent one is also feasible. In other words, a
straightforward process enables it to be reused.
The scientists have shown that the lithium extracted from a spent battery can be used for a new battery: all that needs to be added is more biomaterial.
The scientists have shown that the lithium extracted from a spent battery can be used for a new battery: all that needs to be added is more biomaterial.
Their
battery proved capable of delivering as much as 99 per cent of the
energy output from the first. With future modifications, this figure
can very probably become even higher, researchers said.
The study will be presented in the scientific journal ChemSusChem.
The study will be presented in the scientific journal ChemSusChem.
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PTI | 30 Sep, 2014
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