ELZA: Development of electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 97.0329

Key words (English)

Electrically rechargeable zinc-air-battery; bifunctional air electrodes; pasted zinc electrodes; metal oxide catalyst

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: JOR3-CT98-0298

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 5.1 Nonnuclear energies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

SAFT (F), CHEMTEK (D), ZSW (D), KTH (S)

Abstract (English)

In the framework of the EC-project 'ELZA' the contribution of Paul Scherrer Institut was the development of electrode components for electrically rechargeable zinc/air batteries. Basic materials such as metal-oxide catalyst and catalyst-support materials for the bifunctional air electrode were investigated concerning its physical as well as electrochemical properties. The fabrication technique for zinc electrodes and bifunctional air electrodes has been improved and adapted to the electrode size applied in the course of this program.
R&D activities for the zinc/air system were aimed at the demonstration of high specific energy in the range of 100 - 150 Wh/kg associated with the electrically rechargeability of the battery. The research team succeeded in producing large-surface-area electrodes and assembling them in a modular fashion to a 6 V laboratory-scale demonstration battery, which exhibited the target specific energy. The specific energy depending on the discharge rate, as well as the peak power as a function of the depth of discharge (DOD) were measured. A specific peak power of 74 W/kg and a specific energy of 114 Wh/kg (C/12) for oxygen and 101 Wh/kg (C/24) for air was demonstrated.
The cyclability of the key-element, the bifunctional air electrode, could be significantly improved up to 1000 cycles (6500 h).
Depending on the cycled capacity of the 7.5 Ah electrically rechargeable zinc/oxygen cell, a cycle life of 200-300 cycles (3200-4200 h) were achieved.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 97.0329