Antimony as energy storage

Why is antimony important?

An unsung war hero that saved countless American troops during World War II, an overlooked battery material that has played a pivotal role in storing electricity for more than 100 years, and a major ingredient in futuristic grid-scale energy storage, antimony is among the most important critical metalloids that most people have never heard of.

Could antimony be a viable alternative to a liquid-metal battery?

Antimony is a chemical element that could find new life in the cathode of a liquid-metal battery design. Cost is a crucial variable for any battery that could serve as a viable option for renewable energy storage on the grid.

Are lithium-antimony-lead batteries suitable for stationary energy storage applications?

However, the barrier to widespread adoption of batteries is their high cost. Here we describe a lithium–antimony–lead liquid metal battery that potentially meets the performance specifications for stationary energy storage applications.

Can antimony be used in next-generation batteries?

While lead-acid battery usage is expected to decline as electric motors take the place of ICE engines in the vehicles traveling global highways, antimony is finding its way into new applications in next-generation batteries that can efficiently store electricity at the grid scale.

Why was antimony used in WW2?

Antimony fireproofing applied to tents and vehicle covers saved the lives of countless U.S. troops during World War II. A telegram from General Dwight Eisenhower to the workers at the Stibnite Mine thanking them for supplying the World War II war effort (Click to expand).

Can a low-melting-point antimony–bismuth-tin positive electrode achieve high energy density?

Achieving a high energy density still remains a big challenge. Herein, we report a low-melting-point antimony–bismuth-tin positive electrode for LMB with high energy density and excellent rate performance for the first time. The electromotive force of Li||Sb–Bi–Sn system is determined by Li||Sb and Li||Bi chemistries.