Silver is a precious metal of many faces. It is used for medical equipment, coinage, and dining utensils, but also plays a crucial role in the development of emerging technologies such as batteries. Find out more about using silver in batteries today.

Why Battery Demand Is Increasing

Batteries have become the subject of intense discussion in recent years. This partly due to the advent and wide adoption of mobile electronics worldwide, namely laptop computers, tablet PCs and smartphones. But interest in battery technology has also increased due to the introduction of electric and hybrid transportation. Scientists and engineers are searching for batteries which can last longer and operate with greater efficiency without harming the environment.

And there is also the issue of space exploration and interplanetary travel, which will increasingly become a reality in the next century and beyond. This is why a number of Fortune 500 firms are looking for alternatives to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) technology before 2050. And one material in particular that has caught the attention of the technology industry is silver.

How Current Battery Technology Works

In essence, batteries operate based on simple engineering principles. They are comprised of 3 primary components, which are an electrolyte and dual electrodes. In the oldest battery (Voltaic Pile), those electrodes consisted of zinc and silver, and the brine was used for the electrolyte. The dual electrodes are distinct and the battery will chemically depend on one of them for the release of electrons while the other must accept them. The chemical reactions drive the circuit inside electrolyte material and the 3 components function together to determine battery efficiency and functionality.

Why Silver?

Silver is a special metal in more ways than one. When combined with zinc they offer the greatest amount of energy per ounce when compared to other pairings. But there is a challenge that the scientific community has had difficulty overcoming, and this is capturing the greater energy density, since both metals are soluble and will deteriorate quite easily in the intensive environment of a typical battery cell, which results in significant limitations.

During World War 2, research was conducted by the American military to overcome this barrier, and the solution they came up with was to use a membrane for separating the electrodes. This resulted in batteries which were more dependable, and their success caught the attention of multiple industries.

How Does Silver Compare To Lithium Ion?

Lithium ion batteries currently dominate the market, and are used in everything from smartphones to computers. However, when compared to silver it has some noted disadvantages. For instance, lithium ion is vulnerable to leaking and thermal runway, which can cause a fire. While the likelihood of this happening is somewhat rare, given the millions of people who are using devices that contain it this is a possibility that could prove to be a liability for manufacturers. This is just one of the reasons why companies are focusing on silver/zinc batteries which are safer and rechargeable.