CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT GRADES OF ALUMINUM ANODES FOR ALUMINUM AIR BATTERIES/

Aluminum/air batteries have received much attention during the last de cade because of their possible application in the field of electric ve hicle propulsion. Although this system presents good theoretical chara cteristics, its major problem is the low practical coulombic efficienc y of aluminum in strong alkaline media, resulting from its high corros ion rate. Using a grade of high purity aluminum helps to reduce corros ion but increases the material cost. Moreover, aluminum dissolves whil e discharging the battery, leading to an enrichment of the electrolyte in soluble aluminate species, which has a detrimental effect on the c ell performance, so the electrolyte should be continuously treated by the means of a crystallizer coupled to the battery. In this context, t he aim of the study is to find experimental conditions which could per mit the use of a lower-cost grade of aluminum with respect to the cell and regenerator performances.