Scientists achieve massive breakthrough on an alternative to #LithiumIon batteries — why this 'significant advancement' matters
by Laurelle Stelle, January 13, 2026
"Researchers have recently discovered a way to make an efficient battery out of #zinc — an inexpensive, commonly found metal — instead of the #RareMetals used in lithium batteries.
"Most rechargeable batteries today are lithium-ion batteries, which include other metals like cobalt and nickel, Tech Xplore reports. As electric vehicles (#EVs) and large-scale energy storage get more common, we'll need more and more of those metals — but because they're uncommon, the costs are often massive.
"Many researchers are working on cheaper battery options to reduce or replace these metals. One Chinese company has created a car powered by a #SodiumBattery, and a University of Maryland researcher has invented a partly #BiodegradableBattery made of zinc and #CrabShells. Researchers have even found not one but two ways to store energy in ordinary #sand.
"According to Tech Xplore, this new project, led by Xiulei 'David' Ji of Oregon State University, offers yet another alternative to lithium-ion batteries: accessible, efficient zinc metal batteries.
"The secret is a new electrolyte developed by Ji and his team, Tech Xplore explains. A battery electrolyte is a liquid inside the battery that helps aid the chemical reactions to store and release energy.
"Unfortunately, past electrolytes in #ZincBatteries were not very efficient. Much of the energy stored in the battery was previously used up in extra, unwanted chemical reactions. Not only did that mean the battery couldn't release as much energy as it had put into it, but it also generated dangerous hydrogen gas. This meant that zinc wasn't practical for #RechargeableBatteries.
"Ji's team has created a new electrolyte formula that almost eliminates these unwanted reactions, Tech Xplore reports. It forms a protective coating on the zinc component of the battery that prevents that type of energy loss. A similar protective coating is what allows lithium-ion batteries to release more than 99% of the charging energy. The new zinc battery releases 99.95% of the energy it is charged with on each cycle.
"Not only is the zinc battery efficient, but it's also safer than a lithium-ion battery, according to Tech Xplore. The new electrolyte isn't flammable, while the ones used in lithium-ion batteries often are combustible. Both zinc and the components of the electrolyte are also cheaper and more common than the materials used in lithium-ion batteries.
" 'The breakthrough represents a significant advancement toward making zinc metal batteries more accessible to consumers,' Ji told OSU News and Research Communications. "These batteries are essential for the installation of additional solar and wind farms. In addition, they offer a secure and efficient solution for home energy storage, as well as energy storage modules for communities that are vulnerable to natural disasters.
"Thanks to the work of Ji and his team, Tech Xplore suggests rechargeable zinc batteries are likely to hit the market in the near future."
Source:
https://tech.yahoo.com/science/articles/scientists-just-made-massive-breakthrough-121500329.html
#SolarPunkSunday #LithiumBatteryAlternatives #ZincBatteries #BiodegradableBatteries #CrabShells #Cobalt #Nickel #Lithium #Technology #TechnologyBreakthrough
Hackaday Links: May 3, 2026
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/05/03/hackaday-links-may-3-2026/
#Maine will require battery makers to provide #recycling options
By Tina Fischer, April 9, 2026
"Gov. #JanetMills signed into law a measure that will offer more options to recycle both single-use #alkaline and #LithiumIon batteries in Maine.
"LD 474 updates the state’s current product stewardship laws to require national battery manufacturing companies to set up drop-off locations and fund a statewide take-back program so that all batteries can be safely disposed of and rare earth metals can be extracted for reuse.
"Eight other states have enacted similar laws.
"The state’s existing battery recovery program, enacted in 1991, covers only nickel-cadmium batteries. Many hardware stores, town offices and Staples stores in Maine accept some types of batteries for recycling. The nationwide Battery Network lists on its website drop-off locations in Maine.
"Improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries — commonly found in power tools, cell phone chargers and #vaping devices — has led to at least 24 fires at recycling facilities in Maine. Disposal concerns have driven up insurance rates for towns, according to the #MaineDEP.
"More than 820,000 pounds of batteries are thrown away in Maine every year, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine [#NRCM].
" 'Holding corporate battery makers accountable for cleaning up waste will lower costs for Mainers and help curb demand for mining rare earth metals,' said Vanessa Berry, sustainable Maine program manager at the nonprofit.
"It is technically illegal in Maine to dispose of rechargeable, button cell, or lead-acid batteries in the regular trash."
Source:
https://mainebiz.biz/article/maine-will-require-battery-makers-to-provide-recycling-options/
#SolarPunkSunday #MaineNews #BatteryRecycling #LionBatteries #Recycle #VapePens #Batteries #CellPhones #RechargeableBatteries
The Hazards of Charging USB-C Equipped Cells In-Situ
Sustainability-inspired cell design for a fully #recyclable #SodiumIon battery
Tiefeng Liu, Yaping Zhang, Chao Chen, Zhan Lin, Shanqing Zhang , Jun Lu
Nature Communications, 2019 Apr 29
"Effective #recycling technologies represent a solution to the #sustainability and environmental consequences of spent #RechargeableBatteries . Here, the authors show a bipolar electrode design that allows not only good electrochemical performance but a closed loop of material use for sodium ion batteries."
Read more:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6488666/
#SolarPunkSunday #Reuse #SodiumIonBatteries #NewTechnology
#GiantLeap #EWaste #EWasteRecycling #EWasteReuse
Large-scale applications of rechargeable batteries consume nonrenewable resources and produce massive amounts of end-of-life wastes, which raise sustainability concerns in terms of manufacturing, environmental, and ecological costs. Therefore, the ...
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#SolarPunkSunday #ResponsibleRecycling #BatteryRecycling #RechargeableBatteries #BatteryDisposal
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