With the demand for batteries continually on the rise, the time is ripe for an alternative to lithium, the material making current batteries. Enter potassium, as researchers at the Rensselear Polytechnic Institute discover a means to turn the metal into a potential power source.
While lithium is expensive and mined using environmentally damaging means, potassium is cheap, abundant and easier to work with. It also offers energy densities (by both volume and weight) comparable to lithium in the shape of full potassium anodes. However potassium, like lithium, has a problem called dendrite formation. Essentially, during charging and discharging bits of metal attach to the anode and form dendrites, or spiky branch-like structures. Dendrites grow until they poke through the membrane separating the anode from the cathode, reducing the lifespan of the battery and increasing the risk of short circuits.
