Towards improving the performance of the negative Zn electrode in Zn-Ion batteries

可充电锌离子电池的目标是非便携应用，如电网规模的能量存储，并提供了几个优势，目前用于这些应用的锂离子电池，包括由于使用水电解液的安全性，而依赖于廉价、无毒和在加拿大开采/生产的锌。显著能源的锌离子电池包括：(I)直接电镀和剥离锌的负锌电极；(Ii)近中性的硫酸盐锌水电解液，配有分离器；以及(Iii)能够可逆地嵌入二价锌离子的正电解MnO2电极。在成功解决了在负极电镀/剥离过程中锌优先(树枝状)生长的问题后，Salient Energy现在面临着负极锌电极的新挑战：限制循环寿命并产生氢气的寄生腐蚀反应(自腐蚀)。主要的研究目标是确定电池在负锌电极循环过程中发生寄生自腐蚀的原因。这将通过三个研究子目标来实现：(I)表征从放大电池移除的负极上的腐蚀损伤累积，(Ii)确定锌金属在近中性硫酸锌溶液中的腐蚀机理，以及(Iii)确定锌-黄铜对的电偶的电偶腐蚀敏感性，这是叠层负极组件的固有特性。该项目将创造识别和评估新的以科学为基础的腐蚀控制战略所需的新知识。该项目将为两年任务补助金项目培训一名PDF。

Rechargeable Zn-ion batteries are targeted for non-portable applications, such as grid-scale energy storage, and provide several advantages over the Li-ion batteries currently used for these applications, including safety due to the aqueous electrolytes employed, while relying on Zn that is inexpensive, non-toxic and mined/produced within Canada. Salient Energy's Zn-ion batteries consist of: (i) negative Zn electrode where direct plating and stripping of Zn occurs; (ii) near-neutral aqueous Zn sulphate electrolyte, complete with a separator; and (iii) positive electrolytic MnO2 electrode capable of reversibly intercalating divalent Zn cations. Having successfully addressed problematic preferential (dendritic) Zn growth during plating/stripping at the negative electrode, which serves to short-circuit the battery, Salient Energy now faces a new challenge with the negative Zn electrode: parasitic corrosion reactions (self-corrosion) that limit cycle life and produce hydrogen gas. The overarching research objective is to determine the cause of the parasitic self-corrosion that occurs during cycling of the battery at the negative Zn electrode. This will be achieved through the three research sub-objectives: (i) characterize the corrosion damage accumulation on negative electrodes removed from scaled-up batteries, (ii) determine the corrosion mechanism of Zn metal in near-neutral aqueous Zn sulphate electrolytes, and (iii) determine the galvanic corrosion susceptibility of the Zn-brass couple that is intrinsic to the laminated negative electrode assembly. The project will create new knowledge that is required for novel science-based corrosion control strategies to be identified and evaluated. The project will train one PDF for the two year Missions Grant project.