Chemical kinetics analysis of a zinc-air fuel cell

Zinc-air batteries and zinc-air fuel cells (ZAFC) are types of metal-air batteries that use zinc and oxygen from the air to generate power. They have high energy densities and are cost-effective to manufacture. During discharge, zinc particles form a porous anode saturated with electrolyte, while oxygen reacts at the cathode to form hydroxyl ions that migrate into the zinc paste and release electrons to travel to the cathode. In this study, a ZAFC was designed and produced with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) thermoplastic without any separator. The performance of the prepared air cathode in various temperatures and concentrations of the KOH electrolyte was evaluated. The results showed high current density and low Tafel slope at a high and low current density at a temperature of ۳۱۸ \K and a concentration of ۴M. The prepared ZAFC has an open-circuit potential (OCP) of ۱.۳۴۶ V. The current density of ۱۶۶.۵ mA cm^۲ was obtained at the onset potential of ۰.۷۳ V. The power density and discharge capacity of the cell were ۲۰۵.۵ mW, and ۲۸۳ mAh, respectively. These results show a high-performance single cell.

Keywords:

Zinc-air fuel cell , Air-cathode , Oxygen reduction reaction , Pt/C , Alkaline electrolyte