Batteries – Hybrid packs power

February 4, 2016 – Batteries for grid and stationary applications could get a boost with an approach that uses inexpensive and plentiful aluminum and lithium-containing cathodes to increase capacity, cycling performance and safety. The hybrid battery, developed by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, uses aluminum as the anode – a negative electrode – instead of lithium or graphite. It also uses a new cell design that dramatically reduces the problem of corrosion caused by the strong acidic nature of electrolytes. The result of this work, published in the journal Chemical Communications, is a battery that potentially offers alternative energy storage devices for multiple applications at a lower cost. The paper is available at http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/cc/c5cc09019a#!divAbstract.