On March 17, Dr. Kim Chan-hoon, Research Professor at Hanyang University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, announced that a technology transfer agreement was signed with TNP Solutions (CEO Kang Seong-gu) at the Hanyang Institute of Technology (HIT) on the commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. The agreement involves the crucial “zinc anode protection technology” for the commercialization of the batteries.
Aqueous zinc-ion 토토사이트 로그인 뚫기 have lower energy density compared to lithium-ion 토토사이트 로그인 뚫기, but they use water-based electrolytes, making them safer with no fire risk. Additionally, the raw material cost is about one-third of that for lithium-ion 토토사이트 로그인 뚫기, making them actively researched for use in energy storage systems (ESS).
However, aqueous zinc-ion batteries have the issue of dendrites (sharp crystalline structures) forming on the zinc anode surface during charging, leading to gas generation, which significantly shortens the lifespan and causes the battery to swell. Dendrites do not participate in charge/discharge reactions and grow over time, puncturing the separator, causing a short circuit by touching the cathode, and stopping the battery from functioning. Furthermore, hydrogen gas generated during charging causes a “swelling” phenomenon, which lowers safety. This issue is particularly significant when implementing large-area electrodes, presenting a major obstacle to the commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
To address this, Dr. Kim Chan-hoon’s research team developed a technology to modify a commercially available polymer in a simple way to form a uniform functional polymer protective layer of several micrometers thick on the large-area zinc anode surface. This protective layer has been shown to effectively suppress dendrite formation and hydrogen gas generation.
The research team transferred this technology to the private company, TNP Solutions. TNP Solutions, which began manufacturing and selling communication equipment in May 2019, has grown into a company specializing in energy and safety solutions. The company is currently mass-producing radar sensors for human detection and is preparing for the production of aqueous zinc-ion 토토사이트 로그인 뚫기 based on its independent technology. With this technology transfer, the company plans to apply the technology to its mass production process in the first half of next year after process optimization.
CEO Kang Seong-gu of TNP Solutions stated, “We plan to proceed with the mass production of aqueous zinc-ion batteries, which will replace lead-acid batteries, in the first half of next year based on the core technology acquired through this technology transfer.”
Dr. Kim Chan-hoon remarked, “While many technologies for next-generation non-lithium batteries have been announced, technology transfer to private companies is rare. Starting with this transfer, I will work closely with TNP Solutions to accelerate the commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.”
This research was supported by the STEAM research project (Future Promising Convergence 토토사이트 로그인 뚫기 Pioneer) sponsored by the National Research Foundation of Korea. It is expected to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic battery industry and expanding the eco-friendly secondary battery market.