Constructing High-Performance Yarn-Shaped Electrodes via Twisting-after-Coating Technique for Weavable Seawater...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Electrochemistry
• Textile Engineering

Background:

• Seawater batteries (SWBs) offer sustainable energy solutions for marine applications but are limited by rigid structures.
• Existing SWB fabrication methods hinder integration into flexible marine textiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, yarn-shaped rechargeable seawater battery (SWB) suitable for marine textile applications.
• To introduce and evaluate a novel twisting-after-coating (TAC) technique for improved electrode performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of yarn-shaped electrodes using nickel hexacyanoferrate (Ni-HCF) and polyimide (PI) modified carbon yarns.
• Development and application of the twisting-after-coating (TAC) technique for electrode material immobilization.
• Assembly of yarn-shaped SWBs and testing of their electrochemical performance, flexibility, and stability.
• Integration of SWBs into a textile structure (fishing net) to power a light panel.

Main Results:

• The TAC technique significantly improved the specific capacity of Ni-HCF modified electrodes (64.2 mAh/g) compared to twisting-before-coating (54.5 mAh/g).
• Yarn-shaped SWBs demonstrated good rate performance, excellent flexibility, and high cycling stability.
• A textile woven from these SWBs successfully powered a 10-LED light panel after being soaked in seawater.

Conclusions:

• The TAC technique effectively enhances active material utilization and electrode performance in yarn-based SWBs.
• Yarn-shaped SWBs are adaptable for flexible marine applications, showing potential for self-powered textiles.
• This work paves the way for integrated power solutions in marine environments using textile-based energy storage.