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The start of a new year is an opportune time to look at innovative uses of resources, namely new uses for copper. Copper is well known for its electrical conductivity but did you know that researchers are devising a new type of battery capable of large scale energy storage? So, not only will copper be known for the transmission of energy/electricity but also for the storage of it. The new battery uses nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high power battery electrode that promises to be inexpensive to manufacture as well as be efficient and durable. These properties are particularly important.

A problem that has faced renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is the ability to store excess power for times when wind and sun are not available or cannot generate enough energy. The historical solution has been “redundancy”, that is build additional traditional energy generation (coal/oil/natural gas fired plant) to compensate for when the renewable energy source cannot provide power which involve high capital requirements, in effect, building double the generation capacity. The better solution is to find a “battery” or storage device able to store excess power and at a large enough scale for a power grid. This is not just any battery though; it also had to be efficient, durable, high power, rechargeable and economical to build.

Researchers from Stanford University have developed part of the battery using crystalline nanoparticles of a copper compound to create a new electrode. Under testing, the electrode proved to be extremely durable, outlasting the average lithium ion battery by a high degree. Under laboratory testing, the electrode provided 40,000 cycles of charging and discharging and still could be charged to more than 80% of its original capacity. In comparison, the average lithium ion battery can handle about 400 charging and discharging cycles before it deteriorates too much to be of further use.

Much of the recent research on batteries has focused on lithium ion batteries which, because of their high energy density, can hold a lot of charge for their size. This property is a great advantage for portable electronics and devices. However, energy density is not a major factor for storage on the power grid. A battery could be any size because it does not need to be portable. Cost is a more important consideration. Some of the components in lithium ion batteries are expensive and there is no certainty that making the batteries on a scale for use on the power grid would be economical.

While research and development of this promising new battery technology is continuing, other uses of copper have emerged. In addition to its superior conductivity qualities, copper also has bacterial and fungus fighting abilities. These properties make copper ideally suited for places where there is a high level of public access, such as public transit and hospitals. Surfaces made with or covered in copper could help kill germs and bacteria, an especially important quality for hospitals where methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been on the rise. Over the years, MRSA infections have become increasingly more difficult to treat. The use of copper to prevent infections would be a major step in advancing the fight against MRSA.

Copper is also becoming more commonly used in fabrics for its anti-fungal qualities. From socks, towels and pillowcases to underwear, manufacturers are using copper fibres in a variety of textiles to help kill fungi. Copper is even promoted in a line of compression wear that promises to help with inflammation, swelling and joint pain.

Another innovation is the use of copper sponge filters in salmon farms to purify water. The copper sponge filters help to destroy bacteria, an essential aid to eradicating disease and infections among the salmon. This in turn reduces the amount of antibiotics used by the industry to control the spread of bacteria, leading to greater savings for the business and a better product for the consumer.

For a metal that has been around for many centuries, copper is finding new uses in today’s modern society. I’m confident there will be even more innovative uses of copper to be discovered in the coming years and decades.