Green Science Alliance reports that its aqueous rechargeable aluminium-ion battery now reaches an initial capacity of at least 210 mAh/g, up from roughly 103 mAh/g. The gain comes from using a low-cost conductive carbon rubber sheet as the cathode current collector, which lets graphite penetrate the sheet and increases the surface area for electrochemical reactions. The company says the improved cell held its capacity for at least 25 cycles, with testing still ongoing. The battery uses a water-based electrolyte instead of the moisture-sensitive ionic liquids found in many aluminium battery designs. That could simplify manufacturing and lower costs if the technology matures. Still, the cell operates at only 0.9 to 1.0 V and faces known challenges such as anode corrosion, dendrite formation, and limited cycle stability. This is a research-stage result, not a commercial product. Longer cycle life, energy density, electrode stability, and scalability all need to be demonstrated before the battery could matter for stationary storage or other cost-sensitive applications.
