One of the key impediments to aluminum (Al) as an anode in alkaline Al-air batteries is self-corrosion, which limits the battery’s efficiency due to capacity loss and lifespan reduction. Thus, it is vital to find an efficient electrolyte additive that reduces self-corrosion in Al anodes. In this study, the effect of adding 0.5 to 1.5 wt% of cerium chloride to 4 mol/l KOH electrolyte on the self-corrosion of pure Al anode was investigated using electrochemical experiments. The results show that the addition of cerium chloride to the electrolyte reduces self-corrosion of the Al anode with a negligible effect on the anode activity. Cerium chloride forms cerium hydroxide (Ce (OH)3) in the alkaline electrolyte, which is adsorbed on the Al surface. Therefore, the corrosion potential increased, and self-corrosion current density decreased. As the cerium chloride concentration increased, the Al anode efficiency increased from 43.8% to 76.1%, and the capacity density increased from 1294 to 2244 mAh/g. Furthermore, increasing the immersion time of the Al anode in the electrolyte containing cerium chloride increased the self-corrosion resistance and provided the self-healing properties for the anode.
This work evaluated the performance of annealed and cold-worked commercially pure Aluminum (AA1100) and AA7050 Aluminum alloy as the Aluminum-air battery (Al-air battery) anode in 4 mol.l-1 KOH solution. The electrochemical performance, galvanostatic discharge behavior and microstructure of the anodes after discharge were studied. Cold-worked anodes showed a more negative corrosion potential and a lower corrosion current density compared to annealed anodes, indicating a higher electrochemical activity and an enhanced anti-corrosion behavior. In addition, the anodic efficiency and capacity density of the cold-worked anodes increased significantly compared to the annealed anode by increasing the discharge current density from 20 mA.cm-2 to 100 mA.cm-2. The results of this work indicated that cold-worked pure Al and AA7050 Al alloy has better potential as anode materials in alkaline Al-air batteries than the annealed Al anode.
The inherent safety and low cost of aqueous aluminum-air (Al-air) batteries have attracted significant attention. However, their lifespan is constrained due to the formation of passive layers and severe self-corrosion of the Al anode. This work addresses the Al anode issues using an innovative design strategy by adding vanadate and nanoclay to modify the interaction of Al and electrolyte. The results have shown that adding each vanadate, nanoclay, and a hybrid combination of both reduced Al anode corrosion considerably. However, the hybrid additive provided the highest inhibition efficiency of 72.6% compared to 57.6% for vanadium and 69.8% for nanoclay. The anode's anodic efficiency and capacity density reached 81.4% and 2426 mAh.g-1 using a hybrid inhibitor. Electrochemical and microscopical analysis indicated that the corrosion inhibition of the additives was attributed to a protective film formed on the Al anode surface. Therefore, this technique has the potential for application in Al-air batteries to increase their lifespan by increasing the inhibition efficiency of the Al anode. 
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