This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a series of primary and rechargeable Zinc-Air batteries of new generation. Individual cells will use a new and improved interior design, as well as will incorporate in their composition a host of novel materials and innovative technological solutions. A complete revision of the bill of materials for the battery is planned. The latter will seek to enhance practical Specific Energy of cells, dramatically boosting operational service life, increasing rate capability, preventing in-cell gassing due to corrosion of the anode, and making cells that can better resist the effects of humidity. New product concepts shall be assembled into three standard cell sizes (e.g. LR2450, AA and D) of uniquely modified interior design, and tested against their reference counterparts, so as to conclude on their performance advantages, and to establish grounds for prototyping and commercialization. The ultimate goal is to build cells that will demonstrate Specific Energy of 550+Wh/kg (achieving this value would put this technology at 25% improvement over industry leading brands).

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to commercialize new and improved Zinc-Air Batteries and cells. They hold a tremendous potential for successful adoption by the market. The projected demand is driven by a number of factors, with the major one being a substantial installed base currently populated by the conventional Zinc-Air batteries. The latter is the technology of choice in the hearing aid medical devices. Driven by the aging population in the developed countries, the adoption of hearing aid devices is due to increase at a rate, which is forecasted to drive the market for Zinc-Air systems to $400M worldwide by 2017. Also, Zinc-Airs will continue to be used in some niches with the military. Three other lucrative opportunities identified for the specific battery is in the energy storage for utilities, unattended RFIDs, autonomous health monitoring systems and stationary power supplies.

Project Report

The scope of this SBIR Phase I project IIP-1248895 was to develop a series of Zinc-Air batteries of new generation. Individual cells were to use a new and improved interior design, as well as were to incorporate in their composition a host of novel materials and innovative technological solutions. In the course of the project a complete revision of the bill of materials for the new battery versus its "classic" counterparts was undertaken. The project team consisting of American Energy Technologies Co. and its subcontractors from the Natural Resources Research Institute of Duluth, MN and University of Massachusetts, Boston has undertaken this work in order to serve the purposes of enhancing practical Specific Energy of cells, dramatically boosting operational service life, increasing rate capability, enabling cycleability, minimizing in-cell gassing due to corrosion of the anode, and making cells that can better resist the effects of humidity. During Phase I the team has conducted focused work to address the following developmental priorities: Priority #1: Radically improve the calendar life of Zinc-air cells; Priority #2: Significantly enhance specific energy and energy density on a full device level; Priority #3: Improve high rate capability of Zinc-Air cell chemistry; Priority #4: Explore cycleability potential of the proposed Zinc-Air system. By the end of Phase I work some of the following outcomes were established: 1. A useful calendar life of the fully activated state-of-the-art alkaline primary Zinc-Air batteries could be extended from today’s approximate 22 days to an estimated minimum of 10 years when conventional KOH (NaOH) electrolyte gets replaced with a new electrolyte system proposed by the developers; 2. The specific energy of AETC’s best performing AA cells which were created as part of this program reached values of up to 528 Wh/kg. Establishing this value represents some 24.2% improvement over the incumbent alkaline zinc-air battery systems which currently deliver near 400 Wh/kg. Leapfrogging improvement in specific energy values for AETC battery came in as a result of transitioning to a new and improved cell of a unique interior design (please see the attached Figure), as well as due to application of highly innovative, internally developed materials in cell construction 3. AETC has established a fact of rechargeability of its Zinc-air battery system on a backdrop of the fact that state-of-the-art zinc-air cells with alkaline electrolyte cannot be recharged in a classic sense. The reversibility of reaction of Oxygen sorption on the cathode has been confirmed by cyclic voltammetry and by galvanostatic cycling in full zinc-air cells of new and improved design. 4. This research project also addressed known issues of poor tolerance of metal-air batteries to changes of external humidity. AETC’s engineered moisture trap technologies became firm part of the proposed battery. In addition to that a grade of AETC’s internally developed carbon paint product branched off this project as a stand-alone development and its sales already generate a Phase III revenue stream with a number of customers from the battery / fuel cell industry who face some of the similar issues with humidity effects on their electrochemical systems. More satellite products around this technology will be added to AETC’s portfolio during planned Phase II prototyping work. New and improved Zinc-Air Batteries and cells hold a tremendous potential for successful adoption by the market. The projected demand is driven by a number of factors, with the major one being a substantial installed base currently populated by the conventional Zinc-Air batteries. The latter is the technology of choice in the hearing aid medical devices. Driven by the ageing population in the developed countries, the adoption of the hearing aid devices is due to increase at a rate, which is forecasted to drive the market for Zinc-Air systems to $400M worldwide by 2017. Also, Zinc-Airs will continue to be used in some niches with the military. Other emerging opportunities are in the energy storage for utilities, and in the electric vehicles (if the safety issues associated with the large format lithium-ion batteries persist and the Lithium-Air system does not suffice).

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2013-01-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$149,970
Indirect Cost
Name
American Energy Technologies Company
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Arlington Heights
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60004