MohseenKarche

Assignment No.4

11/03/2015

Batteries comparison:
Energy
Density(Wh/L)

Specific
Power
(W/kg)

cost
( Wh/US$)

8140

200

30 $/Kw

1480-9780

100

6.25
(Wh/US$)

100265

250676

~250-~340

Ni-MH

50

140300

2501,000

Na-Nicl

90

Lead-Acid

3342

60110

180

Ni-cd

4060

50-150

150

Sr.N
o

Battery
Type

Aluminium
-Air

Zinc -Air

Li-ion

Specific Energy
(Wh/kg)
1300 (practical),
6000/8000
(theoretical)
470
(practical),1370
(theoretical)

150

2.5
(Wh/US$)
54
(Wh/US$)
9.2
(Wh/US$)
6.7
(Wh/US$)
91(Wh/US$
)

Life
(Cycle
s)

Fast
charg
e Time

400
1200
500

2-4 h

1500

2-3 h

5001000

16Aug

2000

1h

Al-Air battery (Construction materials and issues):

Aluminum Air batteries use aluminum metal as anode and air as cathode with potassium
hydro oxide as an electrolyte. Aluminum reacts with the oxygen in the air to produce
electricity. Aluminum is 8% percent of the earths crust; its the most abundant metal on earth
and is much cheaper than lithium and is also much less reactive so battery fires are unlikely
to be a problem.
Al-Air batteries are primary batteries, i.e. they cannot be recharged however it can be
mechanically recharged with new aluminum anodes obtained from recycling the hydrated
aluminum oxide.
Major issues concerning the Anode in aluminum air battery
1. Anode corrosion: Aluminum is thermodynamically unstable in an alkaline electrolyte and
reacts with the electrolyte to generate hydrogen, this parasitic corrosion reaction, or selfdischarge, degrades the Columbic efficiency of the anode and must be suppressed in order to
minimize the capacity loss.
2. The hydrated alumina that is created by the cell reaction forms a gel-like substance at the
anode and reduces the electricity output. This is an issue being addressed in the development
work on Alair cells. For example, additives that form the alumina as a powder rather than a
gel have been developed.
Major issues concerning the air cathode in aluminum air battery
1. Co2 Effect: The alkaline electrolyte reacts with the Co2 in the air to form the potassium bi
carbonate which after reaching a certain level blocks the access of the oxygen.
Zinc Air Batteries (Construction materials and issues):
Zinc air batteries use zinc as an anode and air as cathode. In principal it is similar to Al-air
battery. Like AL Zn is abundantly available thus offering cost benefit. Besides being primary
battery which need mechanical recharging zinc- air batteries have following drawbacks:
1. Carbon dioxide from the air forms carbonate which reduces conductivity.

2. High self-discharge.
3. After activation, chemicals tend to dry out and the batteries have to be used quickly.
4. Although recharging is possible it is also inconvenient and is only suitable for high power
types.
5. High internal resistance which means zinc air batteries must be huge to satisfy high
current needs.
Zinc corrosion can produce potentially explosive hydrogen. Vent holes prevent pressure buildup within the cell. Manufacturers caution against hydrogen build-up in enclosed areas.
Older designs used mercury amalgam amounting to about 1% of the weight of a button cell,
to prevent zinc corrosion. Newer types have no added mercury. Zinc itself is relatively low in
toxicity. Mercury-free designs require no special handling when discarded or recycled.
In United States waters, environmental regulations now require proper disposal of primary
batteries removed from navigation aids. Formerly, discarded zincair primary batteries were
dropped into the water around buoys, which allowed mercury to escape into the environment.

Li-Ion Battery (Construction materials and issues):

The Li-Ion battery employs a Lithium metal oxide cathode and a carbon anode. The
electrolyte is made up of lithium salts (such as LiPF6) dissolved in organic carbonates.
Lithium makes up less than 3% of battery mass. Even by using the U.S. Geological Surveys
(USGSs) conservative estimates of lithium reserves, the available material will not be
depleted in the foreseeable future; known lithium reserves could meet world demand to 2050.
Expensive to manufacture - about 40 percent higher in cost than nickel-cadmium.
Aging is a concern with most lithium-ion batteries and many manufacturers remain silent
about this issue
SafetyActual lithium-ion battery technology is not intrinsically safe. Short circuit,
overcharge, over-discharge, crush, and high temperature can lead to thermal runaway, fire,
and explosion.
Na-Nicl battery (Construction materials and issues):
The cathode is Nickel Chloride (Ni CL2) while the anode is made of Sodium (Na). The
electrolyte is made up of tetrachloralluminate of sodium (such as NaAlCL4), and is liquid
at the operating temperature of the cells (and battery) in between 270C and 350C.
No toxic or dangerous materials are used during manufacture of Sodium. The battery is fully
recyclable within existing industries for the production of stainless steel and road paving. The
discharged batteries contain minimum of remaining sodium and the nickel (II) chloride
reduced to nickel. They are shredded in rough equipment existing in the steel industry. The
remaining small amount of sodium turns out not causing any problem.
Ni-Cd Battery (Construction materials and issues):
Nickel cadmium batteries use nickel hydrate (NiOOH) as anode and sponge cadmium (Cd)
in as cathode. The electrolyte is an aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution in
concentration of 20-34 percent by weight pure KOH.
Ni-Cd batteries are economically priced. Itis the lowest cost battery in terms of cost per cycle.
It is available in a wide range of sizes and performance options most NiCd cells are
cylindrical.
Cadmium is a toxic metal. Cannot be disposed of in landfill.
During overcharge explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen are formed in nickelcadmium cells. When the cell relief valves vent these gases to the atmosphere, a potential
explosive hazard can exist if sparks or cigarette or lighted matches are nearby.
Ni-Mh battery (Construction materials and issues):

Ni-MH batteries use hydrogen in for metal hydride as cathode, Nickel hydroxide as anode and
KOH as an electrolyte.
Many metal hydroxide exist but cannot be used practically due to high equilibrium pressure at
room temperature hence inter metallic compounds are used which can be tailored for
required equilibrium pressure by adjusting the ration of the two types of compounds. The
metal hydride can, depending on its composition, hold between 1% and 7% hydrogen by
weight.
The safety issues with NI-MH batteries:
1. For devices with tightly sealed or water proof battery compartments, hydrogen gas
generation under normal or abusive conditions needs to be addressed as a potential safety
issue to prevent the accumulation of dangerous levels of hydrogen gas within the device.
2. The active materials in the negative electrode can ignite on exposure to air. They electrolyte
is also corrosive and capable of causing chemical burns. For these reasons, the battery should
be maintained intact.
3. Ni-MH can generate high currents if shorted causing burns or ignition of inflammable
materials.
Lead acid batteries (Construction materials and issues):
The PbA batteries have been in use for more than a century, primarily as an automotive
starter battery. During that time, they have undergone steady improvements in efficiency,
durability, and lifetime.
The main components of the battery are: a cathode comprised of lead peroxide an anode
made of sponge lead an electrolyte of water and sulfuric acid; fiberglass matte (with
some polymeric binders) separators that keep the anode and cathode apart; and a
containment case, typically made of polypropylene. A typical new PbA battery contains
60% to 80% recycled lead and plastic (Battery Council International 2010).
The PbA batteries are highly recycled some estimate it to be around 95%.
Lead-acid batteries contain sulphuric acid and large amounts of lead. The acid is extremely corrosive and is
also a good carrier for soluble lead and lead particulate.
Lead is a highly toxic metal that produces a range of adverse health effects particularly in young children.
It is to be noted that recycling of used lead acid batteries is not a simple process that can be
undertaken in small scale enterprises. In fact lead-acid battery recycling is regarded as one of
the worst polluting industries worldwide.
My best bet (Al-Air batteries)
As seen from the above data AL-air batteries have 10 times higher specific energy and 40 times
higher power density compared to currently popular Li-ion batteries. High power density and
specific energy from batteries is the need of the hour for automotive industry. Also the
availability and recycling of aluminum is not an issue and since it is abundantly available AL-Air
batteries are potentially cheaper. However, there are certain issues such as aluminum corrosion,
reduced electrical output with time etc which are delaying the commercialization of this battery,
but considering the fact that it has several advantages and is non toxic and non hazardous Al-Air
batteries are definitely the future of the batteries.

Never disassemble a battery, as the electrolyte inside is strong alkaline and can damage skin
and clothes. Never attempt to short-circuit a battery, doing so can damage the product &
generate heat that can cause burns. Never dispose of batteries into a fire as it will cause the
battery to rupture, release noxious chemicals and possibly explode.