STUDIES ON THE BEST ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE FOR ALUMINUM AIR BATTERIES

Two types of alkaline electrolyte, based on 4 M NaOH have been developed for use in aluminium/air cells or batteries. They contain either alkaline citrate or alkaline citrate cum stannate as an additive to suppress the self-corrosion of aluminium without any deleterious effects on the efficient functioning of aluminium anode at a high negative potential. The alkaline citrate cum stannate solution has been adjudged the best electrolyte in terms of electrochemical characteristics and electrolyte management. Hence, results pertaining to the use of alkaline citrate cum stannate are presented in this paper. An aluminium/air battery with this electrolyte can be used safely and effectively at ambient temperature. An added advantage is the employment of 99.8% pure aluminium for the preparation of alloy anodes. This is expected to reduce the cost of aluminium/air batteries. The best anode based on 99.8% pure aluminium is a quaternary alloy containing lead, gallium and indium.