Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Stacked Aluminum-Air Batteries for Electric Vehicle Applications

Metal-air batteries are currently the subject of significant attention due to their intriguing potential as an energy storage device for the post-lithium-ion era. A novel energy storage and conversion device with high safety and low cost could be powered by an aluminum-air battery. However, the surface of the aluminum alloy anode also corrodes in the air and in aqueous solutions, which limits its durability. Therefore, the focus of this work is to develop an engineering method to modify an aluminum multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) of varied compositions 1.5 wt.%, 2 wt.%, and 2.5 wt.% as a reinforcing material to increase corrosion resistance in an aqueous electrolyte. This study also reports on the development of aluminum air batteries and the challenges encountered in the fabrication of multiple stack aluminum-air cell. Electrochemical studies, X-ray diffraction analysis, surface morphological studies, open-circuit and terminal voltage determination, corrosion studies, and atomic force microscopic studies were carried out for aluminum-air battery (AAB) with nanocomposites in 5 M of aqueous potassium hydroxide electrolyte. The addition of MWCNTs in the aluminum alloy as an anode material enhanced the corrosion resistance behavior and increased the lifespan compared with aluminum alloys AA5052 and AA5083. Among the three compositions, 2 wt.% of MWCNT-reinforced AAB gives an open-circuit voltage of 1.47 V and 5.79 V in single and multiple cells, respectively. It exhibits improved corrosion resistance and lifespan.