An intermediate temperature garnet-type solid electrolyte-based molten lithium battery for grid energy storage

Batteries are an attractive grid energy storage technology, but a reliable battery system with the functionalities required for a grid such as high power capability, high safety and low cost remains elusive. Here, we report a solid electrolyte-based molten lithium battery constructed with a molten lithium anode, a molten Sn-Pb or Bi-Pb alloy cathode and a garnet-type Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) solid electrolyte tube. We show that the assembled Li parallel to LLZTO parallel to Sn-Pb and Li parallel to LLZTO parallel to Bi-Pb cells can stably cycle at an intermediate temperature of 240 degrees C for about one month at current densities of 50 mA cm(-2) and 100 mA cm(-2) respectively, with almost no capacity decay and an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.98%. Furthermore, the cells demonstrate high power capability with current densities up to 300 mA cm(-2) (90 mW cm(-2)) for Li parallel to LLZTO parallel to Sn-Pb and 500 mA cm(-2) (175 mW cm(-2)) for Li parallel to LLZTO parallel to Bi-Pb. Our design offers prospects for grid energy storage with intermediate temperature operations, high safety margin and low capital and maintenance costs.