The invention does not require critical battery raw materials. Potential storage for renewable energies.
A new type of battery has been developed by researchers at TU Wien in collaboration with the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) in Barcelona. Ceramic materials are used as the basis, and electric current is generated by the movement of oxygen ions.
According to the inventors, the energy density is lower than that of the widely used lithium-ion batteries, but the technology, for which a patent application has already been filed, has a significantly longer service life: The battery can be regenerated simply by oxygen from the ambient air. In addition, it is non-flammable and can be produced without critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt or nickel. The prototype battery still contains the rare earth element lanthanum, but this is to be replaced in the future, according to the researchers.
However, the new technology is not suitable for smartphones or electric cars because of its comparatively low energy density. However, the inventors see a promising area of application in the storage of large amounts of wind and solar energy. The oxygen-ion battery could thus make an important contribution to the energy transition, the successful implementation of which, according to experts, will also require innovations in the field of electricity storage and a multiplication of capacities.
