Sustainable Batteries from Crab and Lobster Shells

American University of Maryland researchers have identified a special chemical found in crustaceans like crabs and lobsters which will be used to make long-lasting batteries for energy storage. The electrolyte is formed from chitosan, a chemical derivative of Chitin found abundantly in crab shells. Since chitosan is biodegradable, two-thirds of the battery degrades naturally without leaving any harmful products.

The battery's creators say that it's 99.7% energy efficient even after 1,000 battery cycles that provide up to 400 hours. Essentially, these batteries can also be charged and discharged quickly with no harm to their performance.

What makes the battery environment-friendly? Two-thirds of this battery (that is produced from chitosan) can break down in the soil in barely five months, all credit to microbial degradation. It only leaves behind reusable zinc as a by-product.

These new batteries are more eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and affordable compared to long-established ones. Scientists are now pushing to own the merchandise adopted within the commercial production of batteries. They say that using this product is as important as a result of the increased move towards electric cars and green energy at large.

"We think both biodegradability of fabric, or environmental impact,  and also the performance of the batteries are important for a product, which has the potential to be commercialized," The Guardian quoted the professor as saying.

The batteries that are utilized for such technologies must even be environmentally friendly because the world is moving toward the development of green energy solutions and electric automobiles. The new technology may pave the way for advanced high-performance and sustainable batteries for green energy storage. ENPOSS encourages such new technologies that can be more sustainable.