Abstract
We report on a 3D printed Al anode forAl-air battery combinedwith laser sinteringmethod.We verified that laser sintering contributed to effective removal of the organic solvent in the slurry and increased the conductivity of the printed anode. By application of infrared laser sintering, we significantly improved electrical contacts of Al nanoparticles and electrochemical performance of Al-air cells. A Pt/C coated hydrophobic carbon paper was used for air cathode to provide a good electrical contact, an oxygen flow ability, and the water sealing. Gel-style KOH was introduced as the electrolyte and waterways also utilized in the chemical reaction. The laser sintered Al-air battery could provide 239 mAh/g discharge capacity and a 0.95 V operation voltage. Also, a 3D structured anode was fabricated by 3D printing the active material on current collectors to achieve a high mass-loading with active material thickness of 360 μm, 560 μm and 680 μm for 1, 2 and 3 layers 3D printed electrodes. The battery cells provide areal discharge capacities of 1.5 mAh/cm2, 2.8mAh/cm2, and 3.23 mAh/cm2, respectively for 1, 2 and 3 layers-electrodes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 155502 |
| Journal | Journal of the Electrochemical Society |
| Volume | 165 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2018 |
Funding
This work is partially supported by a UT research foundation (UTRF) technology maturation grant and a collaboration project with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Department of Energy, USA. CM and SW are gratefully acknowledging financial support from China Scholarship Council.
