Crab and lobster shells could be used to make renewable batteries

Scientists want to use a chemical found in crab and lobster shells to make batteries more sustainable, according to research.

As the world transitions towards deploying green energy solutions and electric vehicles, the batteries being used for such technology also need to be eco-friendly.

But the chemicals used in conventional batteries such as lithium-ion can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down. These chemicals are also often corrosive and flammable. In some cases consumer-gadget batteries have caught fire on aircrafts, or caused fires in waste and recycling sites.

The researchers in Maryland have developed batteries that use a product derived from crustacean shells to store energy.

The design may pave the way for developing high-performance and sustainable batteries for green energy storage, according to Hu and the study authors.