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Investigations on Mn shielding the negative effect of Fe in the aluminum alloy anodes used for Al-air batteries

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Abstract

In this study, Al-Fe and Al-Fe-Mn alloy anodes are prepared and examined. The influence of impurity Fe on the microstructure and properties of Al alloy anodes is investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical testing techniques. The results reveal that the presence of impurity Fe in Al alloys significantly shifts the open-circuit potential of the Al anode towards the positive side and reduces its discharge efficiency. However, the adverse impact of impurity Fe is mitigated by alloying with Mn. Specifically, the open-circuit potential of Al-0.20%Fe-0.20%Mn anodes is observed to shift negatively by 70 mV when compared to that of Al-0.20%Fe in a 3 M KOH solution. Furthermore, the anode utilization of Al-0.20%Fe-0.20%Mn anodes, following continuous discharge at 30 mA·cm−2 and 100 mA·cm−2 for 30 min, is found to be 70% and 52% higher, respectively, than that of Al-0.20%Fe anodes. This highlights the effectiveness of Mn modification as a preferable approach to ameliorate the detrimental effects of impurity Fe.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Huan Wan & Wei Wang

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Basic Science, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China

    Lu-xia Bu

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  1. Huan Wan
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  2. Wei Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Wang or Lu-xia Bu.

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Wan, H., Wang, W. & Bu, Lx. Investigations on Mn shielding the negative effect of Fe in the aluminum alloy anodes used for Al-air batteries. J Solid State Electrochem 28, 2547–2560 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-024-05801-0

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