A new rechargeable battery made of cheap materials — lignin and zinc — could provide a new and stable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Although the new design does not have quite the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries, it does match the energy density of traditional lead acid batteries, without the toxic lead. It also uses a water-based electrolyte, sidestepping the thermal overheating and fires that can occur in lithium-ion batteries. And because zinc is abundant globally, zinc batteries avoid supply-chain problems that plague lithium, which is found in only a few countries worldwide.
▲ A zinc-lignin battery exhibits remarkable stability; it can be used for over 8,000 cycles while maintaining about 80% of its performance. Image courtesy of Thor Balkhed.
“It’s a very cheap...
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