Název projektu:
Zinc corrosion and mitigation in alkaline-electrolyte batteries (11 BE 0213 3M7Q)
Popis:
A multinational active in the consumer goods sector looks for proposals and/or partners to extend and improve the understanding of gas generation in the zinc anode of alkaline batteries and to develop methods to mitigate the phenomenon.
The zinc / potassium hydroxide / manganese dioxide chemical system, commonly referred to as alkaline or alkaline-manganese dioxide, has replaced the old style zinc-carbon (Leclanché) chemistry in primary batteries used by most consumers in developed nations.
This transition was driven primarily by improved performance. For example, an alkaline battery delivers up to ten times the ampere-hour capacity compared to zinc-carbon under high and continuous drain conditions. This advantage is derived from multiple factors including a more reactive zinc powder (anode), the properties of the alkaline electrolyte, a more reactive manganese dioxide (cathode), and a better seal.
The zinc powder is made with a large surface area to reduce the current density and to help distribute the solid and liquid phases more evenly, thus minimizing certain polarization processes.
One consequence of this more reactive zinc is an increased level of unwanted hydrogen gas generation. This is inherent to the alkaline battery chemistry and presents many challenges. It is the main driver for leakage and it can contribute to bulging of the cell during discharge. Alkaline cells are therefore designed in anticipation of these effects to some space for active materials is lost to a prescribed void volume.
There are additives that are known to help reduce gassing. Organic inhibitors have been identified as gas suppressors, but may negatively impact performance under some discharge regimes. Mercury and lead are known gassing inhibitors, but are toxic and present unacceptable safety issues to consumers, the environment, and assembly personnel.
Other approaches such as changing the cell balance typically offer reductions in gassing at the expense of capacity. Such solutions are not of interest.
A great deal is already known about zinc gassing and there have been a number of seminal works that address this. Below is a brief bibliography with some of the current understanding:
As a consequence, the company looks for proposals and/or partners to:
1. Increase its understanding of the corrosion of zinc and its associated gas evolution under various conditions in an alkaline electrolyte environment
2.Develop methods to mitigate zinc corrosion/gassing without decreasing the performance of alkaline-electrolyte batteries with zinc based anodes
These methods must not have a negative effect on the discharge performance or safety characteristics of the battery. Ideally, they would not increase manufacturing complexity and they would be cost neutral.
Technical Specifications / Specific technical requirements:
Interested parties should deliver one or all of the following:
1. Identify where and how gas is being generated
- Where is gas being generated on a micro- and nano- scale?
- What is/are the specific environments? Examples: morphology of zinc; defects in crystal lattice; grain boundary impurities and/or impurity sites; surrounding fluid media environment including water, KOH concentration, and impurities; etc.
- How is the gas being generated? Examples: theorized chemical reaction equations and proof, confirmed actual mechanisms, proof of intermediaries, etc.
2. Identify methods and techniques to suppress / eliminate gas evolution without decreasing the zinc discharge performance in a battery such as
- Modified zinc morphology, microstructure, etc. to reduce gas evolution
- Altering the reaction products so that gassing is eliminated
- Additives that mediate gassing
- Other proposed solutions based on root cause analysis
Additional desired information includes:
- Analyses of changes in the zinc electrode microstructure during discharge
- Improved understanding of the nature of the zinc oxidation product (e.g. structure, morphology, precipitation) and zinc dissolution and precipitation, and methods to modify such.
Interested parties should seek to deliver answers to the questions above and/or solutions to mitigate gas generation. For the latter, some specific measures of success are listed below.
- Zinc particle gassing reduced by a minimum of 75% in an undischarged state
- Zinc particle gassing reduced by a minimum of 75% in a partially discharged state
- Tests results showing that the methods and/or techniques used to eliminate or suppress gassing should not have a negative effect on the discharge performance and safety characteristics of the battery
- A bench-top test method that (i) can be completed on common analytical / laboratory equipment, (ii) is short in duration (scale = hours, days), and (iii) determines gassing location and cause
Cost targets are to be determined, but technologies and devices must be cost competitive with the leading alternatives and/or today's state of the art. They must also be compliant with the latest safety, reliability and regulatory standards set for consumer batteries.
The zinc / potassium hydroxide / manganese dioxide chemical system, commonly referred to as alkaline or alkaline-manganese dioxide, has replaced the old style zinc-carbon (Leclanché) chemistry in primary batteries used by most consumers in developed nations.
This transition was driven primarily by improved performance. For example, an alkaline battery delivers up to ten times the ampere-hour capacity compared to zinc-carbon under high and continuous drain conditions. This advantage is derived from multiple factors including a more reactive zinc powder (anode), the properties of the alkaline electrolyte, a more reactive manganese dioxide (cathode), and a better seal.
The zinc powder is made with a large surface area to reduce the current density and to help distribute the solid and liquid phases more evenly, thus minimizing certain polarization processes.
One consequence of this more reactive zinc is an increased level of unwanted hydrogen gas generation. This is inherent to the alkaline battery chemistry and presents many challenges. It is the main driver for leakage and it can contribute to bulging of the cell during discharge. Alkaline cells are therefore designed in anticipation of these effects to some space for active materials is lost to a prescribed void volume.
There are additives that are known to help reduce gassing. Organic inhibitors have been identified as gas suppressors, but may negatively impact performance under some discharge regimes. Mercury and lead are known gassing inhibitors, but are toxic and present unacceptable safety issues to consumers, the environment, and assembly personnel.
Other approaches such as changing the cell balance typically offer reductions in gassing at the expense of capacity. Such solutions are not of interest.
A great deal is already known about zinc gassing and there have been a number of seminal works that address this. Below is a brief bibliography with some of the current understanding:
As a consequence, the company looks for proposals and/or partners to:
1. Increase its understanding of the corrosion of zinc and its associated gas evolution under various conditions in an alkaline electrolyte environment
2.Develop methods to mitigate zinc corrosion/gassing without decreasing the performance of alkaline-electrolyte batteries with zinc based anodes
These methods must not have a negative effect on the discharge performance or safety characteristics of the battery. Ideally, they would not increase manufacturing complexity and they would be cost neutral.
Technical Specifications / Specific technical requirements:
Interested parties should deliver one or all of the following:
1. Identify where and how gas is being generated
- Where is gas being generated on a micro- and nano- scale?
- What is/are the specific environments? Examples: morphology of zinc; defects in crystal lattice; grain boundary impurities and/or impurity sites; surrounding fluid media environment including water, KOH concentration, and impurities; etc.
- How is the gas being generated? Examples: theorized chemical reaction equations and proof, confirmed actual mechanisms, proof of intermediaries, etc.
2. Identify methods and techniques to suppress / eliminate gas evolution without decreasing the zinc discharge performance in a battery such as
- Modified zinc morphology, microstructure, etc. to reduce gas evolution
- Altering the reaction products so that gassing is eliminated
- Additives that mediate gassing
- Other proposed solutions based on root cause analysis
Additional desired information includes:
- Analyses of changes in the zinc electrode microstructure during discharge
- Improved understanding of the nature of the zinc oxidation product (e.g. structure, morphology, precipitation) and zinc dissolution and precipitation, and methods to modify such.
Interested parties should seek to deliver answers to the questions above and/or solutions to mitigate gas generation. For the latter, some specific measures of success are listed below.
- Zinc particle gassing reduced by a minimum of 75% in an undischarged state
- Zinc particle gassing reduced by a minimum of 75% in a partially discharged state
- Tests results showing that the methods and/or techniques used to eliminate or suppress gassing should not have a negative effect on the discharge performance and safety characteristics of the battery
- A bench-top test method that (i) can be completed on common analytical / laboratory equipment, (ii) is short in duration (scale = hours, days), and (iii) determines gassing location and cause
Cost targets are to be determined, but technologies and devices must be cost competitive with the leading alternatives and/or today's state of the art. They must also be compliant with the latest safety, reliability and regulatory standards set for consumer batteries.
Požadavky na partnera:
Requested Cooperation: License Agreement, Technical consultancy, Quality control, Adaptation to specific needs
- Type of partner sought: SME or larger enterprise, academia, ...
- Specific area of activity of the partner: physics and chemistry related to batteries.
- Task to be performed by the partner sought: provide the company with the requested solution.
- Type of partner sought: SME or larger enterprise, academia, ...
- Specific area of activity of the partner: physics and chemistry related to batteries.
- Task to be performed by the partner sought: provide the company with the requested solution.
Obchodní firma/fyzická osoba:
Technologické inovační centrum s.r.o.
Sídlo/Místo podnikání:
Vavrečkova 5262
760 01 Zlín
760 01 Zlín
Kontaktní osoba:
Lenka Kostelníková
Email:
Telefon:
+420 739 570 792
