Researchers Made a Sustainable and Biodegradable Battery Out of Crab and Lobster Shells

Crustaceans are an uncommon source that could be used to produce more environmentally friendly batteries. Researchers claim to have created a biodegradable battery using a material found in crab and lobster shells in a report published this week in the journal Matter.

Crab shell batteries might be a brilliant idea

(Photo : Rod Long/Unsplash)

An electrolyte material that sits between the two electric terminals at either end of the battery is an essential component of how batteries function because it facilitates ion movement between both the positively and negatively charged terminals to produce power, as per Gizmodo.

Lead or lithium are the main components of conventional batteries (such as lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries), however, these batteries have a number of drawbacks.

To transition away from fossil fuels, we will need a lot of batteries, but conventional electrolyte materials come with a host of new problems: recycling them can be extremely difficult, they really aren't biodegradable, and they may be hazardous on their own, occasionally igniting or exploding.

Inside the case of lithium batteries, there's also a problem with the destructive mining techniques that may be necessary to meet the world's future demand for energy.

Come the crustaceans. Chitin, a substance found in lobsters and crabs' exoskeletons, aids in maintaining the strength and durability of their shells.

Researchers created a new electrolyte solution using the chitin derivative chitosan and zinc to power a battery that they claim retains nearly all of its energy efficiency after 400 hours of operation.

Furthermore, this crab goo will degrade in soil over the course of around five months, unlike conventional battery electrolytes, leaving zinc which can be recycled behind.

Chitin is notably abundant in crustacean shells, although it is also present in the walls of fungus and in some squid components.

According to Graham Newton, a professor of materials chemistry at the University of Nottingham who was not involved in the work, whenever you create novel materials for battery technologies there often is a sizable gap between promising lab results and a proven and scalable technology.

Nevertheless, Newton thought the study was positive. Although there are still many obstacles to overcome in the development of zinc ion batteries, fundamental studies like this one are crucial, he said.

Impact of non-biodegradable batteries on the environment

Although millions of batteries were disposed of improperly each year by customers, batteries should always be disposed of safely, as per Republic Services.

Even while disposing of batteries may appear harmless, doing so can have a terrible impact on the environment. Each battery includes potentially harmful, poisonous, and corrosive substances like lead, lithium, cadmium, and mercury.

In landfills, exhausted batteries that are thrown in the trash eventually deteriorate and leak. Battery corrosion releases chemicals that pollute groundwater and surface water as well as soil.

When contaminated by battery chemicals, our ecosystems, which sustain thousands of aquatic plants and animals, were put at risk. This implies that we run the risk of consuming harmful metals whenever we drink from tap water taps.

According to the Agency for Hazardous Substance & Disease Registry, toxic metals like nickel and cadmium contained in batteries are recognized human carcinogens.

Lead and the powerful corrosive acids included in batteries can cause burns and risks to our eyes and skin.

Any chemical, radiation, or radionuclide that functions as a cancer-causing agent is referred to as a carcinogen.

We run the risk of getting malignant impairments when these substances contact air and water.