Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research (IC&SR) , IIT Madras
Aluminum (Alloyed With Indium And Magnesium) As Anodes For Seawater Batteries And Corrosion Protection
Technology Category/Market
Category- Energy, Energy Storage and Renewable Energy
Industry Classification:
Manufacture of batteries and accumulators; Fuel Cells; Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Applications:
In batteries powering deep-ocean sensors and underwater vehicles; sacrificial anodes to protect marine infrastructure; light weight and extended endurance batteries for deep sea exploration.
Market report:
The global Marine Batteries Market was valued at USD 3.49 Billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 15 Billion by 2035 with a CAGR of 14.17%.
Problem Statement
- Electrodes of Batteries used in marine and underwater environments with seawater need to be corrosion resistant without compromising on power delivery.
- Conventional seawater batteries rely on materials like magnesium or zinc, which suffer from high corrosion rates or limited efficiency.
- Further, these materials are prone to rapid self-corrosion increase weight of the battery while being prone to passivation issues that reduces operational lifespan and increasing costs.
- There is a need for an improved anode material that significantly lowers corrosion rates while boosting voltage output, and improving efficiency for extended underwater use.
Technology
- The technology uses aluminum doped with indium and magnesium, offering reduced corrosion rates and high voltage output, suitable for seawater batteries and sacrificial anodes in harsh marine and soil environments.
- The alloy achieves 90% utilization efficiency with low self-corrosion rates (<0.18 µ/h) and excellent discharge potential (1V at 1mA/cm²), ensuring long-term durability in underwater applications.
- The seawater battery features an open architecture, with a 5 mm cell gap and seawater electrolyte, enabling efficient power generation under extreme oceanic pressure and temperature conditions (10–25°C)
- The anode contains 3–5% magnesium, 0.1% indium, and the remainder aluminum, processed through precision casting and machining to optimize electrochemical performance and longevity.
- Ideal for deep-sea sensors, underwater vehicles, and corrosion protection of marine infrastructure, the invention offers lightweight, cost-effective energy storage and corrosion solutions for challenging environments.
Key Features/Value Proposition
- The invention’s aluminum-indium-magnesium alloy significantly reduces self-corrosion rates (e.g., <0.18 µ/h), outperforming traditional anode materials like magnesium and zinc, which exhibit higher corrosion and require frequent replacement in marine environments.
- Incorporating indium boosts the discharge potential to 1V at 1 mA/cm², a notable improvement over magnesium- and zinc-based systems, making it more efficient for energy-intensive underwater applications.
- The synergistic effect of indium and magnesium prevents passivation, ensuring consistent performance and extending battery life in harsh conditions, unlike conventional aluminum alloys that form passive oxide layers, reducing efficiency.
- Aluminum’s lower atomic weight and the optimized alloy composition provide higher electron release per unit mass, reducing overall weight and cost compared to magnesium and zinc anodes with similar applications.
- The alloy demonstrates excellent performance across a broad temperature range (10–25°C) and withstands high pressures in deep-sea conditions, where conventional technologies face limitations due to environmental stress.
Questions about this Technology?
Contact for Licensing
Research Lab
Prof. Ramanathan S
Department of Chemical Engineering
Intellectual Property
- IITM IDF Ref 2894
- IN 202441036555 Patent Application
Technology Readiness Level
TRL 4
Technology validated in Lab