This battery is made out of a crab shell
Researchers designed a battery made out of cancer. Thanks to the chitin found in crustaceans, the battery is sustainable and recyclable. Initial tests with the Krebs battery are promising.
The demand for one product has increased rapidly in recent years: batteries. For electric vehicles alone, demand in 2020 was still 215 gigawatt hours. By 2030 In all likelihood, this will increase to 1,525 gigawatt hours. However, the energy storage devices available today come with a number of disadvantages.
The recycling of frequently used lithium-ion batteries, for example, is usually difficult because of the electrolytes used. This liquid ensures the constant flow of ions from one pole to the other. The origin of rare earths can also largely not be traced.
Crab Shell provides sustainable material for the Crab Battery
In order to solve the problem of sustainability, researchers are always looking for approaches in nature. And they found it. As it turns out, it is possible to use a substance from the shells of crabs and lobsters to create a biodegradable battery. Specifically, this is about the substance chitin.
In the animal kingdom, this ensures the resilience and strength of the armor. Once converted into a derivative called chitosan and mixed with zinc, a new, sustainable electrolyte is created. And the new type of battery is said to offer high energy efficiency even after 400 hours of operation.
The waste products of the Krebs battery are zinc and normal earth
But what happens when the Krebs battery reaches its final charge cycle? According to the researchers, the material decomposes in soil after five months. The zinc used can then be collected and recycled. There is hardly any waste over the entire process.
By the way, lovers of crustaceans need not worry. Chitin can also be found in fungi in lower concentrations. A vegan variant of the battery is therefore definitely feasible.
Further research should soon make the approach socially acceptable and make the sustainable cancer battery usable in everyday life.
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