Leicester university scientists win EU funding for their novel aluminium battery project

A team of researchers at the University of Leicester has won funding from the European Union for their work into a novel battery type based on aluminium and sulphur. Professor Karl Ryder and Professor Andy Abbott from the Materials Centre in the Department of Chemistry who are heading the team aim to position these batteries as alternatives to the conventional batteries.

A consortium of the EU universities and a top battery testing company, Project SAlBAGE- Sulfur-Aluminium Battery with Advanced Polymeric Gel Electrolytes - is funded under the EU (Horizon 2020) Future Emerging Technologies scheme. The total value of the funding awarded is €3 million of which €545,000 will be forwarded to Leicester.  This award is the first of its kind for the University.

The Leicester team of scientists chose aluminium over lithium for their creation as the light metal is more abundant, cheaper and safer than lithium.

Under the SAlBAGE Project, researchers aim to develop a new secondary Aluminium Sulphur Battery. An aluminium cathode will be combined with a sulphur anode along with some redox mediators to catalyse sulphur reaction kinetics and enhance performance.  The new aluminium battery is expected to have a high energy density (1000Wh/kg) and come cheaper in comparison with the current Li-ion technology (-60%).

The improved flexibility, adaptability, shapeability of the new aluminium battery will allow the researchers to design a new device for strategic applications in transport, aircraft industry or ITs. However, for that the SALBAGE battery will have to be specially designed and tested separately in relevant conditions.