SMART ENERGY
ZINC-ION
– a safety-orientated battery solution Zinc-ion is one such alternative . A disadvantage of Lithium-ion is its tendency to combust , as seen in recent Tesla car fires . A cell in the battery is damaged either through the impact of a crash or due to manufacturing defects , which causes it to overheat and catch fire in a process commonly known as thermal runaway . Laptops , mobile phones , and energy storage facilities have also been known to catch alight .
However , the chemistry in zinc is water-based meaning the element is nonflammable and could therefore be argued to be more reliable and safer . Its energy storage capabilities are also a positive , offering a high energy density that provides equal power , performance and reduced footprint as the lithium-ion . zinc can also be manufactured in the same factories as lithium , reducing manufacturing costs .
There are downsides to zinc , namely the limited choices of cathode materials and shorter life cycle , but overall , zinc-ion and even the non-rechargeable zinc-carbon variant , could prove a viable solution to energy storage if the lithium supply runs out . energydigital . com 41