A new biodegradable and recyclable battery made from crab shells and zinc can be recharged at least 1,000 times, making it suitable for storing wind and solar energy. Lithium-ion is today’s most widely used battery technology for grid energy storage. But mining battery metals harms the environment. It isn’t easy or economical to recycle lithium batteries, so most of the 15 million metric tons of discarded batteries expected to be produced by 2030 will likely end up in landfills. Researchers made a biodegradable gel electrolyte from chitosan, derived from chitin, the protein making up the tough shells of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters, and shrimps. It’s usually discarded as a byproduct of the food industry. Combining chitin and zinc, created a strong gel membrane that served as the battery’s electrolyte.
Source: Meiling Wu et al. A sustainable chitosan-zinc electrolyte for high-rate zinc-metal batteries. Matter, 2022.
https://today.umd.edu/umd-engineers-get-cracking-on-sustainability-with-crab-shell-based-battery
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