Alkaline Ni-Zn Rechargeable Batteries for Sustainable Energy Storage: Battery Components, Deterioration Mechanisms, and Impact of Additives

The demand for long-term, sustainable, and low-cost battery energy storage systems with high power delivery capabilities for stationary grid-scale energy storage, as well as the necessity for safe lithium-ion battery alternatives, has renewed interest in aqueous zinc-based rechargeable batteries. The alkaline Ni-Zn rechargeable battery chemistry was identified as a promising technology for sustainable energy storage applications, albeit a considerable investment in academic research, it still fails to deliver the requisite performance. It is hampered by a relatively short-term electrode degradation, resulting in a decreased cycle life. Dendrite formation, parasitic hydrogen evolution, corrosion, passivation, and dynamic morphological growth are all challenging and interrelated possible degradation processes. This review elaborates on the components of Ni-Zn batteries and their deterioration mechanisms, focusing on the influence of electrolyte additives as a cost-effective, simple, yet versatile approach for regulating these phenomena and extending the battery cycle life. Even though a great deal of effort has been dedicated to this subject, the challenges remain. This highlights that a breakthrough is to be expected, but it will necessitate not only an experimental approach, but also a theoretical and computational one, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Deterioration Mechanisms and Advanced Inspection Technologies of Aluminum Windows

Aluminum windows are crucial components of building envelopes since they connect the indoor space to the external environment. Various external causes degrade or harm the functioning of aluminum windows. In this regard, inspecting the performance of aluminum windows is a necessary task to keep buildings healthy. This review illustrates the deterioration mechanisms of aluminum windows under various environmental conditions with an intention to provide comprehensive information for developing damage protection and inspection technologies. The illustrations reveal that moisture and chloride ions have the most detrimental effect on deteriorating aluminum windows in the long run, while mechanical loads can damage aluminum windows in a sudden manner. In addition, multiple advanced inspection techniques potential to benefit assessing aluminum window health state are discussed in order to help tackle the efficiency problem of traditional visual inspection. The comparison among those techniques demonstrates that infrared thermography can help acquire a preliminary defect profile of inspected windows, whereas ultrasonic phased arrays technology demonstrates a high level of competency in analyzing comprehensive defect information. This review also discusses the challenges in the scarcity of nanoscale corrosion information for insightful understandings of aluminum window corrosion and reliable window inspection tools for lifespan prediction. In this regard, molecular dynamics simulation and artificial intelligence technology are recommended as promising tools for better revealing the deterioration mechanisms and advancing inspection techniques, respectively, for future directions. It is envisioned that this paper will help upgrade the aluminum window inspection scheme and contribute to driving the construction of intelligent and safe cities.

Investigation of the Multi-Scale Deterioration Mechanisms of Anhydrite Rock Exposed to Freeze-Thaw Environment

The deterioration of anhydrite rock exposed to a freeze-thaw environment is a complex process. Therefore, this paper systematically investigated the physical and mechanical evolutions of freeze-thawed anhydrite rock through a series of multi-scale laboratory tests. Meanwhile, the correlation between pore structure and macroscopic mechanical parameters was discussed, and the deterioration mechanisms of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles were revealed. The results show that with the increase in freeze-thaw processes, the mechanical strength, elastic modulus, cohesion, proportions of micropores (r ≤ 0.1 μm), and PT-Ipore throat (0-0.1 μm) decrease exponentially. In comparison, the mass variation, proportions of mesopores (0.1 μm < r < 1 μm), macropores (r ≥ 1 μm), and PT-II pore throat (0.1-4 μm) increase exponentially. After 120 cycles, the mean porosity increases by 66.27%, and there is a significant honeycomb and pitted surface phenomenon. Meanwhile, as the freeze-thaw cycles increase, the frost resistance coefficient decreases, while the damage variable increases. The correlation analysis between pore structure and macroscopic mechanical parameters shows that macropores play the most significant role in the mechanical characteristic deterioration of freeze-thawed anhydrite rock. Finally, it is revealed that the water-rock expansion and water dissolution effects play a crucial role in the multi-scale damage of anhydrite rock under the freeze-thaw environment.