Enhancing the Electrochemical Performance of Al-Mg-Sn-Ga Alloy Anode for Al-Air Battery by Solution Treatment

Abstract

Electrochemical behavior and discharge performance of pure Al and Al-0.55Mg-0.028Sn-0.015Ga alloy anodes for Al-air battery were investigated. Solution heat treatment of the alloy was performed at different temperatures and the relationship between microstructural characteristics and properties was analyzed. The results indicated that the secondary phases dissolve into the Al matrix after solution treatment, and a more homogeneous distribution of the alloy elements is obtained. The solution treatment of the Al alloy anodes at 600 °C exhibits a superior performance in both the self-corrosion tests and the Al-air alkaline battery discharge. The energy density of the Al-air battery using this anode is comparable with that of other Al-air battery in the literatures. The anode utilization at 80 mA cm−2 obtains 87.3% in the battery discharge, which is a desirable performance for the Al-air battery anode. Furthermore, the discharge mechanism of the Al alloy anode is also illuminate based on the microstructural characteristics and electrochemical evaluation.