Although the technology was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, the first lithium batteries didn’t make it to market until the 70s, and it was a series of breakthroughs in the early 80s that cemented it as the market leading product it is today.
Lithium (and cobalt / graphite / nickel / manganese) cells replaced lead acid as the foremost battery chemistry simply because lithium has the lightest weight, highest voltage, and greatest energy density of all metals (why is a bubble round?); nevertheless, its relative scarcity and recent price escalation has some manufacturers shopping for alternatives.
The expansion of energy storage capacity is undoubtedly a societal necessity for the foreseeable future, but with extensive R&D in this area being a constant force for change, there is no reason to expect a single type of device to dominate the market indefinitely.
On March 7th, researchers at RMIT University in Australia announced that they had cracked a new type of battery chemistry that they have termed the “Proton Battery”, which rivals the current lithium-ion setup even before optimization.
The working prototype uses a carbon-based electrode to store hydrogen, coupled with a reversible fuel cell to produce electricity. The carbon in the electrode bonds with protons generated when charging by splitting water assisted by electrons from the power supply.
The protons are then released to pass back through the reversible fuel cell forming H2O with oxygen from the air to generate power. Lead researcher, Professor John Andrews, says it is the carbon electrode plus the protons from water that give this particular battery its environmental, technological and economic edge.
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