3D Nanostructured Cathode Battery With Salt Electrolyte
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional batteries using rare metals like lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt face resource depletion issues and environmental concerns due to the use of strong alkali electrolytes, making disposal difficult and potentially harmful to the environment, especially in applications like IoT sensors buried in soil.
Innovation Solution
A battery design featuring a cathode with a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure of nanostructures, an anode made of abundant metals like magnesium or zinc, and an electrolyte made of a salt, such as potassium chloride or sodium chloride, housed in a naturally degradable material to facilitate easier handling and environmental sustainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional batteries use rare metals like lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt, then high performance is achieved, but resource depletion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive rare metals with abundant, inexpensive materials such as iron, manganese oxide, and zinc. The battery is designed as a disposable primary battery where the anode metal (Mg, Zn, or Fe) reacts with water or oxygen to generate electricity, eliminating the need for costly rare metal cathodes while maintaining functional performance for the intended use lifecycle
Solution Approach 2:
The invention fundamentally changes the chemical composition parameters of the battery electrodes. Instead of using lithium, nickel, or cobalt-based cathodes, the patent employs alternative chemistries: zinc-manganese dioxide, magnesium-iron oxide, or aluminum-manganese oxide systems, thereby substituting rare metals with abundant materials while achieving comparable electrochemical performance
2Reliability
If strong alkali such as aqueous sodium hydroxide solution or organic electrolyte is used, then battery function is enabled, but disposal becomes difficult and environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrolyte composition from strong alkali (NaOH, KOH) or organic electrolytes to neutral or mildly alkaline aqueous solutions containing salts like zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, or sodium sulfate. This parameter change maintains ionic conductivity necessary for battery function while dramatically reducing environmental toxicity and improving biodegradability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts potentially harmful strong alkali electrolytes into beneficial neutral salt solutions that are environmentally friendly. The electrolyte components (zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium sulfate) are chosen to be non-toxic, biodegradable, and even potentially useful in soil environments, turning a previously harmful aspect into an environmentally beneficial one
3Loss of substance
If air battery or water battery uses abundant metals like magnesium, iron, aluminum, and zinc, then cost and environmental load are reduced, but handling difficulty remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the pH and composition parameters of the electrolyte to neutral or mildly alkaline ranges, which stabilizes the abundant metal anodes (Mg, Zn, Fe, Al) against premature corrosion while maintaining electrochemical reactivity. This parameter optimization enables the battery to be handled and stored safely before use, resolving the handling difficulty associated with reactive abundant metals
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The battery is easier to handle and dispose of, with reduced environmental impact, as it uses abundant materials and eliminates the need for rare metals, while maintaining effective performance, as demonstrated by improved discharge capacities and flexibility in various embodiments.
Implementation Method 1
a cathode made of a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure including a plurality of nanostructures
Implementation Method 2
an electrolyte sandwiched between the cathode and the anode and made of a salt
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes a cathode (101), an anode (102), and an electrolyte (103). The cathode (101) is made of a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure including a plurality of nanostructures. The electrolyte (103) is sandwiched between the cathode (101) and the anode (102) and made of a salt. The electrolyte (103) may be made of, e.g., an aqueous solution of one of potassium chloride and sodium chloride, or a mixture thereof. The anode (102) may contain, e.g., a metal selected from magnesium, zin, iron, and aluminum.