Zinc-based Storage: Zn-ion Batteries, Zn Redox Flow Batteries, Zn-ion Supercapacitors, Zn-Air Rechargeable Batteries: Technologies, Markets 2024-2044

The energy storage market will grow sixfold over the coming 20 years but change radically in both needs and technologies. What place will zinc technology have in all this? What are the opportunities for those making appropriate added value materials and making and using the devices themselves? Rechargeable versions will be paramount and the winning materials and applications have been established from a deep study of the research pipeline, expert opinions and fundamentals.

Uniquely, the answers are in this report. Vitally, it analyses the flood of latest research, particularly in 2024. It matches that closely to what is needed, finding that research should be redirected to include several parameters essential to commercialisation, several of which are not even measured. These problems are your opportunities.

The 34 page Executive Summary and Conclusions is self-sufficient for those with limited time as it presents new infograms, conclusions and roadmaps and there are further pages with 64 lines of forecasts 2024-2044 each with graphs, tables and explanations. See how the four zinc technologies will cover long duration energy storage LDES for grids right across to pulses for electromagnetic weapons and thermonuclear power. Learn the winning materials for the $20 billion device business emerging.

Chapter 2 “Overview of energy storage” gives the big picture in 32 pages. That includes LDES and how zinc batteries are pivoting from success as small disposables to the much bigger opportunity of large rechargeable versions in future. Learn realistic research targets for the various forms of zinc-based rechargeable energy storage 2024-2044.

Chapter 3. “Reasons for using zinc in batteries and their variants” takes 44 pages to clarify the relevant requirements. See the dreams including multifunctional “smart” zinc storage and the realities compared to attractive theoretical performance. Here is a statistical analysis of 2024, 2023 research on rechargeable zinc-ion batteries and the pioneering activity of Eos Energy Enterprises USA, Enzinc USA, Gelion Australia and Urban Electric Power USA despite most of the research being carried out in China.

Because zinc-ion batteries ZIB have the largest potential, the next four chapters look at progress with the four key parts - anodes, cathodes, electrolytes and separators - while recognising that they must be improved in a coordinated fashion.

Currently, that involves most research being on cathodes, mainly aimed at increasing energy density, then come anodes, the source of inadequate life, then electrolytes and - less of a problem - separators/ membranes. The report fully explains how this is an over-simplification and, throughout, there are detailed summaries of latest research and references for further reading enabling you to go as deep as you wish. Although these chapters are oriented towards the big zinc-ion opportunity, these same chemistries and materials advances are improving the other types of zinc-based storage covered later.

Chapter 4 therefore takes 48 pages for “Zinc-ion anode research progress 2024, 2023” introducing the issues and approaches with anode, electrolyte and separator improvement coordinated. There is an overview of progress 2019-2024, statistical analysis of ZIB anode research papers in 2024, 2023 revealing winning materials and then detailed appraisal of Zn-ion anode research 2024, 2023. That spans suppressing Zn pulverisation, preventing dendrites and other degradation and anodes for zinc rechargeable microbatteries.

Chapter 5 on the cathodes is 94 pages because so much is happening here. Which compounds are winning and in what form? Detailed research analysis set against what is needed in the marketplace? It is all here. See statistical analysis of ZIB cathode research papers in 2024, 2023 revealing winning materials, detailed appraisal of Zn-ion cathode research 2024, 2023. Specific sections explain the place of specifically identified vanadium, manganese and molybdenum compounds and other organic and inorganic materials.

Chapter 6. “Zinc-ion electrolyte research progress 2024, 2023” (46 pages) explains why hydrogels are trending here and solid electrolytes will open up new markets. Meanwhile electrolyte additives can be a more efficient way of overcoming anode and cathode shortcomings and getting the preferred aqueous electrolytes to operate at low temperatures. Which ones, how, what results?

Chapter 7. Zinc-ion separator membrane research progress 2024, 2023 needs 10 pages of compact new infograms and graphs and detailed research analysis to explain how zinc-ion battery separators will vary from none to primitive glass fiber, sophisticated ion-exchange polymer particularly for the redox flow variant and zinc-ion versions with clever active coatings addressing shortcomings of anodes and cathodes. The next three chapters specifically address the remaining three zinc technologies that expand the addressable markets for rechargeable storage in totally new directions - zinc-ion capacitors, zinc redox flow batteries and zinc-air batteries.

Chapter 8. “Zinc-ion battery-supercapacitor hybrids: zinc-ion capacitors ZIC” (40 pages) introduces supercapacitors and their variants with a SWOT appraisal. The zinc opportunity lies in the battery-supercapacitor variant where lithium-ion capacitors LIC promise to outsell supercapacitors as they are adopted in mining, faster trains, thermonuclear power and electromagnetic weapons. As with ion-batteries, losing the lithium saves cost but sodium versions are ahead of zinc in both cases, with zinc possibly offering the safest versions of all and some other advantages identified here. See the statistical review of research on zinc-based hybrid supercapacitors ZIC 2024, 2023 pointing to winners, and the detailed analysis of research papers 2024, 2023. Why is there more research on ZIC than the sodium equivalent? That does not mimic the situation with ion-batteries.

The 49 pages of Chapter 9. “Zinc redox flow batteries” is particularly intensive because many forms are already being commercialised, particularly hybrids of RFB and conventional solid electrode batteries. They are eagerly sought for the fast-growing long duration storage for grid and particularly beyond-grid stationary storage batteries. How are zinc-bromine, zinc-iodine, zinc-iron, zinc- manganese and zinc-vanadium shaping up against incumbents vanadium and then iron RFB? What business opportunities come from the detailed analysis of the 2024, 2023 research pipeline? The ZnRFB success of Redflow, Primus Power, WeView China/ ViZn Energy Systems against 45 RFB competitors?

RFB can be switched off to retain charge as long as you wish. They can be repaired to last 100 years. They may appear in a 100MW off-grid solar data center or desalination plant down to your solar house. They compensate solar dead at night and even weeks of dull weather. Ion-batteries are too leaky, fading and costly for that. However, on levelised cost of storage, they will not compete well with the massive earthworks of pumped hydro and other gravity and underground storage for grids.

Learn the negatives not just the positives throughout this balanced report.