DOE are Working to Develop Li-air Batteries
Researchers at the U.S Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are working to develop commercially viable Li-air batteries,which use a catalytic air cathode that supplies oxygen,an electrolyte and a lithium anode.The technology has the potential to store almost as much energy as a tank of gasoline,and will have a capacity for energy storage that is five to 10 times greater than that of Li-ion batteries.
The DOE has awarded the lab $8.8 million to build out and outfit three battery research facilities that will be used for materials production scale-up,battery prototyping,and post-test analysis.
"The obstacles to Li-air batteries becoming a viable technology are formidable and will require innovations in materials science,chemistry and engineering," said Argonne Director Eric Isaacs."We have a history of taking on scientific challenges and overcoming them.Argonne is committed to developing Li-air battery technologies. In fact, we’ve made it a ‘grand research challenge’ at the laboratory."