Advances in development and application of aluminium batteries

Aluminium has long attracted attention as a potential battery anode because of its high theoretical voltage and specific energy. The protective oxide layer at aluminium surface is however detrimental to its performance to achieve its reversible potential, and also causing the delayed activation of anode.

The oxide layer can be removed by e.g. amalgamation but this will result in accelerated corrosion and poor shelf life. These difficulties have been successfully overcome by developing alloying elements and electrolyte additives in the recent years. The literature review also includes various aluminium batteres, especially aluminium-air batteries, and a wide range of their applications from emergency power supplies, reserve batteries field portable batteries, to batteries for electric vehicles and underwater propulsion.