Multi-element liquid metal battery

Abstract

An electrochemical cell including: a negative electrode including calcium and an alkali metal; a positive electrode including one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Zn, Ga, Ge, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Te, Bi, Pb, Sb, Zn, Sn and Mg; and an electrolyte including a salt of calcium and a salt of the alkali metal. The electrolyte is configured to allow the cations of the calcium and alkali metal to be transferred from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharging and to be transferred from the positive electrode to the negative electrode during charging. The electrolyte exists as a liquid phase and one or both of the negative electrode and the positive electrode exists as liquid or partially liquid phases at operating temperatures of the electrochemical cell.