The electrochemical characteristics of a soluble lead flow battery are key factors for improvement of its cyclic lifetime and efficiency.
Ho Yu Gyong, a researcher at the Nano Physics Engineering Institute, has proposed aqueous solution of Pb(BF4)2 and HBF4 as the electrolytes of a soluble lead flow battery, and observed the kinetic behavior of the electrode by cyclic voltammetry, the cyclic lifetime, quantum efficiency and voltage efficiency of the SLFB with respect to concentration of the electrolyte.
The conductivity exhibits a peak at 1.5mol/L Pb(BF4)2 when [HBF4] is below 1.0mol/L while it decreases with the increase in the concentration of Pb(BF4)2 when [HBF4] is higher than 1.0mol/L.
According to the cyclic voltammetry, the electrode process is fast with a low overvoltage and no additional reactions for the aqueous solution with 1.5mol/L Pb(BF4)2 and 0.25mol/L HBF4.
Overall, for the aqueous solution of 1.5mol/L Pb(BF4)2 and 0.25mol/L HBF4, the battery showed the best performance with the cyclic lifetime 48 times, the average quantum efficiency 88%, the voltage efficiency 70% and the battery efficiency 62%.
These results are promising for fresh parameters of the electrolyte that could play a major role for the improvement of SLFBs.
For more information, please refer to her paper “Study on electrochemical properties of Pb(BF4)2 electrolyte for improvement of cycle lifetime and efficiency in soluble lead flow batteries” in “Journal of Saudi Chemical Society” (SCI).
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