Chinese and Spanish scientists tap into salt-laced ice to generate electricity – with a twist
The research could lead to a new form of green power in cold climates, tapping into 10 per cent of the Earth’s ice-coated surface
Scientists from China and Spain have discovered that adding salt to ice can enable it to generate electricity, opening up the possibility of harnessing clean power in cold environments – with a twist.
The team found that when salt-doped ice was bent, it could generate an electrical response comparable to some of the best ceramic materials used for their electrical properties.
The researchers used saline ice to fabricate devices that showed their potential to be used as a low-cost source of energy in cold environments.
In August, the same team from China and Spain, along with researchers from Stony Brook University in New York, published a paper in Nature Physics revealing the potential for ice to generate power through bending.
They found that this is possible due to flexoelectricity, or the generation of an electrical charge when a material is subjected to a source of strain that is not uniform.