After soaking in salty water, these rechargeable strands powered a timer.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024)
Researchers have created the prototype design of a new rechargeable battery specifically intended to operate in saltwater environments. This innovation can be utilized as an energy source in ocean or sea regions due to its flexibility and toughness.
These saltwater-conductive yarn batteries can be knitted into fabrics or nets that power marine devices such as safety equipment, fishing nets, and life vests.
The newly developed battery’s features include flexibility, waterproofing, and the ability to use seawater as a component.
Harnessing salt water as an electrolyte
Normal batteries are kept clear of contact with water, particularly salt water, due to the potential damages and malfunctions. The design uses the features of seawater to its advantage by utilizing the sodium, chloride, and sulfate ions as the electrolyte.
The development builds on earlier work by researchers Yan Qiao, Zhisong Lu, and their team, who previously created a water-friendly battery using body sweat as an electrolyte for fitness monitors. Based on that success, these researchers pioneered an invention that replaces traditional electrolytes with salt water in a rechargeable yarn-like contraption.
The researchers used carbon fiber bundles coated with conductive materials to create this battery. Nickel hexacyanoferrate acted as polyamide for the positive electrode (cathode), while the negative electrode (anode) was polyamide. They were subsequently twisted into bundles of yarn-like strings.
These electrodes were sealed inside a permeable nonwoven fabric that protects the internal components while letting in seawater so that it can interact with the electrodes. This design guarantees the functionality of the battery even when it is bent millions of times.
Laboratory tests verified the results concerning the battery’s resilience and efficiency. It retained the charge after being bent 4,000 times and maintained most of it after 200 cycles of charging and discharging in seawater. The results show its applicability for marine environments as chronic durability and reliability are imperative.
Real-world applications
To demonstrate what the battery is capable of, the researchers knitted the strands of the battery into a fishing net and a rectangular piece of cloth. When the fishing net was charged and immersed in seawater, it could power a 10 LED light panel successfully.
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A fabric piece submerged in sodium sulfate solution could also turn on a timer for over an hour. This makes it possible to design fishing nets with LED lights as well as other life-saving devices that could be used in a marine environment.
This yarn-shaped battery shows the greatest promise of sustainability and versatility. It transforms and receives energy even while submerged in seawater, opening up new opportunities for powering devices ranging from safety appliances to marine observation systems.
With additional work, these sources of power may transform the energy landscape of marine industries by being as light, flexible, and robust as the oceans themselves.
The research has been published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
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Srishti Gupta Srishti studied English literature at the University of Delhi and has since then realized it's not her cup of tea. She has been an editor in every space and content type imaginable, from children's books to journal articles. She enjoys popular culture, reading contemporary fiction and nonfiction, crafts, and spending time with her cats. With a keen interest in science, Srishti is particularly drawn to beats covering medicine, sustainability, gene studies, and anything biology-related.
