COLLOQUIUM: Liquid Metal Batteries for Large-scale Energy Storage

Liquid metal batteries are characterized by liquid metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. These batteries boast fast electrode kinetics due to liquid-liquid interfaces allowing fast charge/discharge characteristics, impressive current densities resulting from high ionic conductivity of the molten salt electrolytes, long cycle life enabled by continuous annihilation and creation of liquid electrodes and the utilization of low-cost materials. Liquid metal batteries have the potential for unprecedented operational life, which makes them economically attractive for grid-level energy storage when amortized over their cycle life.