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Power Businesses Science

Startup Unveils Revolutionary New Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries (nytimes.com) 137

Posted by EditorDavid from the battery-up dept.
Slashdot reader cdreimer quotes the New York Times: Alkaline batteries can be made far more cheaply and safely than today's lithium-ion batteries, but they are not rechargeable... Ionic Materials could change that equation with an alkaline battery the company said could be recharged hundreds of times. One additional benefit of the company's breakthrough: An alkaline battery would not be as prone to the combustion issues that have plagued lithium-ion batteries in a range of products, most notably some Samsung smartphones. Cheaper and more powerful batteries are also considered by many to be the driver needed to make the cost of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar competitive with the coal, gas and nuclear power that support the national energy grid.
The company "has demonstrated up to 400 recharge cycles for its prototypes," and it's now even investigating aluminum-based alkaline batteries which would also be lighter than lithium-ion batteries. The company is backed by Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, who also envisions the batteries being used in electric cars.
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Startup Unveils Revolutionary New Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries More

Startup Unveils Revolutionary New Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries

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  • Great! (Score:5, Funny)

    by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Sunday August 06, 2017 @07:05AM (#54949799)

    I can't wait to buy some of these rechargeable aluminum-based alkaline batteries in 2037!

    • Rechargeable alkaline batteries have been around for years. Problem is, they don't have anywhere near the energy density needed.

      • Rechargeable alkaline batteries have been around for years. Problem is, they don't have anywhere near the energy density needed.

        Yes. Rechargeable alkaline batteries were first developed in the 1970s. The design was improved in the 80s and 90s but they were never able to create a battery that could withstand more than a couple hundred discharge-recharge cycles. And that's only if you don't discharge the battery more than about 25%. In an application where the battery is often discharged 50% or more, the number of recharge cycles is much lower.

        As a result, rechargeable alkaline batteries have never become widely used, and many peo

        • Alkaline refers to the electrolyte. This new battery uses metals different from conventional alkaline batteries (manganese-dioxide, zinc) and rechargeable alkalines (steel, zinc). The new battery replaces zinc with aluminum (if the other electrode is in the article, I missed it.) So it is something new.

    • In the meantime, you'll just have to limp along using the mundane, old-rechargeable alkaline batteries that have been available for about half a century. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

  • Going to be tough to beat the price and performance of Panasonic's Eneloop's. But if they can, all the better for them and us.

    • Price check on Amazon puts the Eneloop AAs at 4.5 times the price of (non-rechargeable) alkalines. If rechargeable alkalines somehow come in at 1/2 the cost of Ni-Mh then they would be easily in the zone for many use cases. Marine/RV for one, currently dominated by lead/acid. Not too pleasant, to say the least.

      • Try EBL. Same tech as Eneloop, larger capacity, lower charge cycling.

        Alkaline batteries are terrible, anyway. They start off at 1.5V, then immediately drop to 1.2V in a steep discharge curve. Then they slide down until they're dead at 0.8V. NiMH start at 1.2V, hold roughly level for like twice as long, then suddenly fall off a cliff.

        This [quietpc.com] is pretty representative. Lithiums go from like 4.1V to 3.5V or so immediately, then hold level for their entire discharge cycle, before finally falling off sharply

  • Is this a joke? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Rechargeable alkaline batteries aren't something new, if anything battery manufacturers have tried to make the chemistry and cells _less_ rechargeable over the years to earn more. I read an article in the 90's that described charging alkaline batteries then (using cells not intended to be recharged) and also told the history of the batteries and charging with examples from the technical evolution that didn't significantly increase capacity but made the cells much harder to recharge. Can't remember where I r

    • Were these just available in Canada? I was buying these years ago but the company disappeared. I loved them because they were 1.5v rather than 1.2 volts.

      https://www.amazon.ca/Pure-Ene... [amazon.ca]

      • I liked buying them for years, especially because they were made in Canada on the east coast. But they all eventually leaked whereas I think I've run into one leaked eneloop. But even getting 10 recharges out of them sure beat the cost of one time batteries.

      • I loved them because they were 1.5v rather than 1.2 volts.

        Oh really? [quietpc.com]

    • Rechargeable alkaline batteries aren't something new, if anything battery manufacturers have tried to make the chemistry and cells _less_ rechargeable over the years to earn more. I read an article in the 90's that described charging alkaline batteries then (using cells not intended to be recharged) and also told the history of the batteries and charging with examples from the technical evolution that didn't significantly increase capacity but made the cells much harder to recharge. Can't remember where I read it sadly.

      With that said I'll applaud all _real_ improvements in batteries no matter their chemistry.

      I can remember buying plenty of recharge-able alkaline batteries in the late 1980's and early 1990's. They did kind of get flakier and less reliable (newer batteries bought, that is) over time. At the time, why an established product became less reliable over time really pissed me off.

      I learned that you had to go to the trouble of completely discharging them before a recharge. That was a pain in the ass. Oh, but they came out with a recharger that first drained the batteries completely before recharge t

      • Until "The Greatest Generation" – the Baby Boomers – cough-up to reair the damage that they have knowingly wrought on the earth's environment (earth, water, and sky), I will keep on keeping-on like they did.

        The "Greatest Generation"--the ones who won WWII--were the parents of the Baby Boomers. Environmental concerns were secondary to defeating fascism.

        If you wanted to be remembered as part of a great generation, you'd emulate them and do what needs to be done regardless of the cost, instead of contributing to a death spiral of apathy.

        • Until "The Greatest Generation" – the Baby Boomers – cough-up to reair the damage that they have knowingly wrought on the earth's environment (earth, water, and sky), I will keep on keeping-on like they did.

          The "Greatest Generation"--the ones who won WWII--were the parents of the Baby Boomers. Environmental concerns were secondary to defeating fascism.

          If you wanted to be remembered as part of a great generation, you'd emulate them and do what needs to be done regardless of the cost, instead of contributing to a death spiral of apathy.

          Oh, I have solved some 'Grand Challenges' in a few fields of science and medicine, and have performed research in solar cells and LED lighting, so I can sleep easy as far as having 'done my part'. I don't do any more of that because I am too busy suing those who have ripped-off my patented improvements for huge financial gains––it is a waste of my time and energy. (The situation is kind of sad because I'd rather be working along with everyone else to do my part to try and save the world.)

          But,

  • 400 cycles? That's maybe a year's use for a heavy car driver (which would include some trips where the car is rapid charged during the trip, thus more than 1 per day) or maybe 18 months for a light driver.

    I would think for a car or any heavy use application you'd ideally prefer an order of magnitude more charge cycles but might settle for 3-5x more cycles depending on who the car is targeted at and what a new pack costs.

    Of course 400 cycles may be a lot if topping off from 50%+ charge doesn't count, and th

    • LiFePO can be made crap cheat and easily last 1000 cycles

    • If the battery is cheap enough (and somewhat recycable), replacing the car pack every 2 years or so might be acceptable. Unfortunately the article is a bit low on details; they mention that the battery is lighter, but no hard details on power density per kg or per m3.

      Also, Li-ion batteries are great for infrequently used equipment. My old cordless drill with NiMH cells either had to be left on the charger (which craps out the batteries eventually) or left unplugged which meant the batteries would be em

      • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
        "Eneloop cells lose their charge much more slowly than the 0.5â"4% per day lost by older-technology NiMH batteries, retaining about 85% of their charge for a year after charging.[2] This allows them to be sold precharged and ready for use, unlike older types. ... Following the acquisition of Sanyo by Panasonic, a fourth generation was introduced in April 2013. The number of charges per cell was increased from 1800 to 2100 cycles for both AA (BK-3MCC) and AAA (BK-4MCC) m

        • Yeah those are great. Used to use them in my Xbox 360 and Wii Controllers. Now they're in children's toys that they forget to turn off...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Euler ( 31942 )

        So true, once I went to a lithium-based drill I've never looked back. The nominal capacity isn't even a concern, just the fact that the damn thing is at the ready when I need it maybe once per month.

        I will say lithium carries some safety concern regarding fires. So if alkaline were a safer option and had the standby capacity that would be great.

  • Global lithium-ion battery demand from electric vehicles is projected to grow from 21 gigawatt-hours in 2016 to 1,300 gigawatt-hours in 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

    <Doc Brown>1300 gigawatts?!</Doc Brown>

  • Startup unveils revolutionary new vapourware, needs more money....

  • Not new (Score:5, Informative)

    by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Sunday August 06, 2017 @07:54AM (#54949887)

    How is this news??? Rechargeable alkaline batteries have been available for over 45 years.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

    Perhaps they have improved how many times it can be recharged, but the summary makes it sound like the feat is the concept.

    • Came here to say this... somehow they just never captured market appeal - something about reduced capacity AND increased cost vs standard batteries was a big thing.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by BarbaraHudson ( 3785311 )
        They were a big thing for a while, and then devices became energy misers. An LED flashlight lasts a lot longer on a conventional carbon-zinc cell than it used to, hence the need to replace batteries far less often. Same thing with smoke detectors - the original ones required a 12v dc wired power supply, but now the batteries can last for years before it starts to beep that it's time to change the battery. Other devices, such as walkie-talkies, which used to eat 8 batteries at a shot, have become obsolete.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Euler ( 31942 )

        I've been around long enough to have seen a variety of options here:
        NiCd rechargeable cells (AA, C, 9-volt, etc.), then NiMH, then alkaline [semi]-rechargeable cells.
        They all basically suck for some combinations of these reasons compared to disposable alkalines:
        - inferior cell voltage
        - inferior capacity
        - Cost of the cells
        - Cost of the charger
        - Time spent replacing cells more often (remove the battery cover, etc.), taking them to the

        • +1 insightful

          >"Its amazing rechargeable cells had any market at all when you look at the total cost and convenience. "

          Like you, I have messed with them all. The ONLY system that is worth it has been the Sanyo Eneloop cells (I think now owned by Panasonic) combined with a smart charger like the LaCrosse BC-700 or BC-1000

          https://www.amazon.com/Crosse-... [amazon.com]

          THOSE batteries actually last significantly LONGER than Alkaline, they are more reliable than Alkaline, they charge tons of times, and they hold their ch

    • that could charge both disposable alkalines a few times and rechargeable alkalines many times.

      Used it for a few years but found that getting a dozen of two charges from off-the-shelf batteries wasn't worth it and trying to track down the ones with more charge cycles was inconvenient, not to mention that they behaved more like NiCd cells in many ways (didn't like deep discharges, had a sort of memory effect, etc.)

      But they were out there.

    • I remember my dad buying an alkaline battery recharger from radio shack in about 1975.

  • How is this news? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by thsths ( 31372 ) on Sunday August 06, 2017 @08:08AM (#54949917)

    Rechargeable alkaline batteries are pretty well established. You can even by them in a shop:

    https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/map... [maplin.co.uk]

    In fact all alkaline batteries are rechargeable at least a few times, although it may not be entirely safe to do so.

    There are two problems with these batteries: they deteriorate faster than other rechargeable batteries, and the energy density is lower than the current Li-Ion batteries.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by fnj ( 64210 )

      In fact all alkaline batteries are rechargeable

      Bullshit. Alkalines can sometimes be "rejuvenated" to some limited extent. It's not the same thing.

      • You can get 10-20 charge cycles with disposable alkalines using an alkaline battery recharger. They were pretty popular for a while in the '90s and even advertised heavily on TV as a way to save costs.

  • prototypes of a rechargeable alkaline battery that can be made using continuous manufacturing processes similar to the making of plastic wrap... has demonstrated up to 400 recharge cycles for its prototypes.

    Unless they're outright lying, it sounds as though they've done enough actual development on this that it may turn into a viable technology. Yes, pie-in-the-sky battery announcements are commonplace, but the tone of this one sounds slightly different to me.

  • Call me skeptical (Score:3)

    by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Sunday August 06, 2017 @09:52AM (#54950085)
    Energy density.

    That we could make rechargeable Alkaline batteries is pretty obvious when we already have them.

    But if these are supposed to compete with Li-Po batteries in energy density they will run into the same issues that the Li-Po batteries have.

    So at best, its a wash regarding batteries for our toys. Where this technology just might be really useful is in the energy storage and leveling schemes for solar and wind power. There a rechargeable battery of less energy density might just be the ticket, because extreme small size will not be an issue. Add a few more batteries to the farm. And if they are cheaper, great.

    That way we can free up the demand on the not so common minerals that go into the really high energy density batteries we use now.

    • I think the stuff about replacing Li-ion in laptops and phones was fluff added by the reporter to try to make this sound more important than it really is. Rechargeable alkalines would compete against NiMH batteries which still dominate the AA and AAA rechargeable battery market.

      NiMH batteries have a nominal voltage of about 1.2 V (1.35 V fully charged), versus 1.5 V for alkaline. NiMH drops to about 1.2 V when half-discharged, about the time alkalines are hitting 1.35 V. Most electronics give a low bat
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • The summay does seem to be off the mark in that regard. But, as you point out, grid storage is a different ball game. And even for wheeled vehicles, a somewhat lower energy density isn't necessarily prohibitive because there's regenerative braking and a lot of the energy that does get lost goes into fighting aerodynamic friction rather than rolling resistance.

        This got me to thinking about nickle-iron batteries, the lumbering Ox of battery technology. Poor specific energy, poor charge retention, but about indestructable. The NiFe batteries Seem to invite abuse, putting up with being constantly on charge, many charge discharge cycles, rugged as rocks, and crazy reliable. The New York City Subway system uses them, as well as the London Underground locos. A lot of mining cars use them as well

        Then I started thinking about a 30 pound smartphone that lasted an hour

  • Just what we need. Alkaleaks now with increased chances of ruining equipment.

  • What about super-capacitors? (Score:3)

    by Vegan Cyclist ( 1650427 ) on Sunday August 06, 2017 @10:47AM (#54950265) Homepage

    I thought super-capacitors was where it's at? Smaller, lighter, and very quick to charge...?

    Agree that rechargeable alkaline have been available for a very long time, I had a few sets, but they did tend to fail very quickly.

    • If you knew physics, you would not even consider super capacitors . Sadly, most retards don't (know physics).

      • I may not know physics, but at least I can learn...maybe you can take a queue with your own (lack of) decent social skills.

        • Agree, the GP is a dick. Super-capacitors have a very high power density but not a very high energy density. They are very good for burst systems but not so good for storage of energy. They already have places in transport but mainly in hybrid systems such as regenerative breaking systems where it is important to capture a lot of energy and release it quickly. It can do this with an order of magnitude more power and an order of magnitude more often than the best lithium batteries currently on the market.

          Wha

          • Thanks, that's a little more helpful! I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this, but any reason they can't make hybrid batteries? With a SC for quick charge or taking advantage of braking, and that (more slowly) transfers to a 'main' Li battery?

            • There's two problems with this. To be useful you need a lot of storage for it. With super capacitors still only having 1/10th of the energy capacity you need to effectively dedicate the size and weight of your existing lithium battery pack just to the capacitors for a 1/10th improvement in charging speed. The economics of that doesn't make sense. It would make sense in regenerative breaking (and I'd actually be surprised if they aren't used there already to ensure as much energy as possible is captured).

              The

              • Yeah, if it's down to 7mins for a decent charge, that's not bad. I still thought it was in the 15-30min range, so doesn't seem all that necessary. Thanks again for all this!

                • The 2020 goal is still 15+min for a full charge (combined with the expectation that the 2020 car will likely have larger capacity than the current Teslas), but the charging profile of EV batteries will get you some 80% of the way there in ~7min. Even Tesla's current systems provides a fast charge component followed by a top-up. So every time you hear someone quoting a full charge number, remember the 80% number is not done in 80% of the time, and unless you're driving cost to coast trying to make it from on

  • Cheaper and more powerful batteries are also considered by many to be the driver needed to make the cost of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar competitive with the coal, gas and nuclear power that support the national energy grid.

    If you have a battery that is cheap and with limited recharge cycles then would it not be better suited to handling daily shifts in load following than minute by minute, or even hour by hour, shifts in wind and sun?

    Sure, the daily cycles of the sun are known, hence "daily" but there are clouds that make this more difficult. Also assume a gigawatt solar farm compared to a gigawatt coal or nuclear plant. I hear people talk about how much cheaper it is getting to build a solar farm than coal or nuclear but w

    • Batteries, or any other form of grid-scale storage, aren't going to make nuclear any cheaper, nor alleviate the radioactive waste from nuclear plants, nor capture the carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants.

      Note that I am not against nuclear or coal-with-carbon-capture. Solar and wind with storage and distribution advances just look like the more cost-effective approach.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Khyber ( 864651 )

        "alleviate the radioactive waste from nuclear plants"

        Gee, it's radiation. Capture the fucking energy and convert.

  • So they are using aluminum instead of zinc. Zinc forms sub-oxides quite easily, but aluminum is strongly ionic, and just turns to Al2O3. (Look up the ionization energies.)

    Reducing the zinc (recharging the battery) is a well-developed rechargeable battery technology. Reducing Al2O3 is, well, very energy intensive. The typical process is the Hall–Héroult process (with thanks to Born & Haber), which as I recall involves very high temperatures. So what is their trick?

    If their trick is in the

  • Once upon a time, we would expect fact checking, follow up questions etc. The difference between first and second tier news organizations was the former would do background research and the latter would breathlessly repeat Marketing sound bytes. Now that the NYtimes behaves more like the latter ... Just who are the first tier journalists?

  • There has been a scam going around social media regarding Cobalt and Lithium-Ion batteries. There exist many Lithium-Ion batteries chemistries that don't use Cobalt. Cobalt formulations produce the highest capacity batteries but not the most durable. These batteries could be made to function for over 1200 charge/discharge cycles and had the capacity and cost of current Alkaline batteries than they could be made viable for vehicles. Lower voltage per cell (1.5v vs 3.7v) would make them harder to use in call

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