Aluminium–air battery

Example

Use in Lemonergy

Do not carry lithium-ion assumptions into every chemistry.

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Aluminium-ion battery

A rechargeable cell with an aluminium-metal negative electrode, usually in a chloroaluminate ionic liquid, in which chloroaluminate anions rather than bare Al³⁺ ions shuttle and intercalate into a graphite or graphene positive. Demonstrations reach about 2 V and thousands of fast cycles, but the positive’s low capacity keeps energy density modest; graphene versions are pursued commercially.

Iron–air battery

A rechargeable alkaline cell that oxidises iron to iron hydroxide — reversible rusting — with oxygen drawn from the air, then reduces it back on charge. Iron is cheap enough that systems built for about 100 hours of discharge make sense for multi-day grid storage, though round-trip efficiency is low and hydrogen evolution on the iron wastes charge.

Lithium–air battery

A cell in which lithium metal reacts with oxygen at a porous carbon positive, forming lithium peroxide on discharge. Counting the peroxide’s mass, theoretical specific energy is about 3,500 Wh/kg, several times lithium-ion. Insulating peroxide clogs the electrode, charging needs large overpotentials, and moisture and CO₂ in real air poison the reaction.

Primary cell

A cell designed to be discharged once and not recharged, such as an alkaline or lithium–manganese dioxide cell. Its reaction is not reversible in practice, unlike the secondary cells this glossary is mostly about.

Zinc–air cell

A cell whose positive electrode uses oxygen from the air, so almost all its volume is zinc and its energy density is very high. It powers hearing aids as a primary cell; rechargeable versions are being developed for grid storage.

References & further reading

Further reading on this topic

These sources provide broader context; they are not presented as citations for every statement in this entry.

1. Promise and reality of post-lithium-ion batteries with high energy densities

   Jang Wook Choi, Doron Aurbach · Nature Reviews Materials · 2016

   Topic background · Post-lithium-ion materials and battery concepts, including practical cell-level limitations; historical 2016 perspective.

2. DOE/EPRI 2013 Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA

   Sandia National Laboratories · 2013

   Topic background · Storage technologies and grid services. The publisher notes that its historical cost and deployment figures are outdated.