Salt Ice Generates Electricity with 1000x Increase in Power, Study Reveals
New York, NY – A newly published study in Nature Materials details a surprising discovery: ordinary ice, when combined with salt, can generate electricity with an efficiency up to 1000 times greater than pure ice. Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICN2), XI’an Jiaotong University, and Stony brook University found that the presence of salt creates microscopic channels of liquid water within the ice crystals. Bending this “salt ice” causes water molecules and ions to move, generating an electric current.
The research team tested the electricity-generating capabilities of salt ice in various forms – cones, beams, and plates – using a three-point bend test. Results demonstrated the notable increase in power generation compared to standard ice.
This breakthrough suggests potential applications ranging from low-cost sensors in polar regions to energy-generating structures in extremely cold environments, and even possibilities for utilizing icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, which harbor subsurface oceans.
However, the technology faces challenges. The study notes a substantial decrease in the salt ice’s electricity-generating ability after repeated bending cycles, sometimes as much as 80%. Moreover, the efficiency currently lags behind that of commercially available piezoelectric materials, with a significant portion of energy lost as heat. Researchers are now focused on improving the sustainability and efficiency of the process.
The findings highlight the potential of readily available materials like ice as lasting energy sources, possibly playing a role in future technology and the energy transition.
