Enhancing Specific Energy and Cycling Stability of High-temperature Na-zncl2 Batteries with Foam-based Electrodes
Sodium-zinc chloride (Na-ZnCl2) batteries offer a sustainable alternative to sodium-nickel chloride (Na-NiCl2) batteries but face challenges with low specific energy and cycle life. This study evaluates two electrode designs: conventional particle-based Zn/NaCl granules and newly developed foam-based Zn/NaCl electrodes. Particle-based electrodes, with 30% Zn utilization, cycled in tubular cells with a mass loading of 1.13 g cm(-2) and an areal capacity of 150 mAh cm(-2), achieve a specific energy of 231 Wh kg(-)(1) on electrode composite level at 15 mA cm(-)(2) but suffer from degradation in voltage efficiency due to Zn agglomeration. To address this, foam-based Zn/NaCl electrodes are developed, enhancing Zn utilization to 66%. Cycled in planar Na-ZnCl2 cells, these foam-based electrodes achieve over 200 mAh cm(-2) areal capacity at a mass loading of 1.04 g cm(-2), providing a specific energy of 336 Wh kg(-)(1) at 15 mA cm(-)(2) with stable voltage profiles. The foam-based design stabilizes the electrode microstructure, delivering a high cumulative discharge capacity of 5.4 Ah cm(-)(2) with stable voltage efficiency. These results represent the highest mass loadings and areal capacities reported for sodium metal chloride cells to date, demonstrating their potential for enabling cost-effective Na-ZnCl2 batteries for stationary energy storage applications.
WOS:001504347800001
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Horien SA
Horien SA
Horien SA
Horien SA
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
2025-06-08
REVIEWED
EPFL