Lithium batteries are commonly used in household appliances such as torch, table lamp, and TV remote. Consumers want batteries with a long life and discharge time. They also want them to be cheap. Scientists now have a solution. A new material called magnesium ferrite is a better candidate for making long-lasting lithium batteries.
Magnesium ferrite is an eco-friendly, non-toxic, cost-effective material that hasn’t been evaluated for its use in lithium batteries so far. A recent study by scientists at the Pondicherry University, Pudducherry and Vignan’s University, Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with Amara Raja Batteries Ltd, Andhra Pradesh and Clemson University, South Carolina, USA tested magnesium ferrite in lithium batteries at the positive terminal for its electrical behavior and qualities.
Researchers synthesized magnesium ferrite by mixing solutions of ferric nitrate and magnesium nitrate, and heating the mixture under constant stirring in the presence of citric acid, urea and adding ammonia to complete the reaction. The sample was heated at 700°C for 2 hours to obtain magnesium ferrite nanoparticles which were smaller than the thickness of a human hair that is 40nanometers.
The magnesium ferrite nanoparticles showed improved electrical conductivity, higher discharge capacity when compared to commercially used graphite. The observed electrochemical properties of the fabricated lithium battery indicate that the newly developed magnesium ferrite may be a better anode material for lithium battery applications, say scientists.
Many day-to-day appliances such as our wall clock and torch use lithium batteries. Researchers need to develop newer materials that help industries make better batteries. This new study is a wonderful kick start in this direction. Rural villages with long power cuts could soon have cheaper batteries with enhanced life and longer discharge time.
Reference: Ceramics International 42 (15): 1678916797.
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