Discharge performance of extruded Mg-Bi binary alloys as anodes for primary Mg-air batteries

Abstract In this study, the microstructural characteristic, electrochemical behavior and discharge performance of extruded Mg-xBi (x = 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt%) anodes are systematically evaluated. The results show that the cell voltage and anodic efficiency deteriorate as the Bi addition increased in galvanostatic discharge process. In addition, intermittent discharge behavior also confirms that the Mg-0.5Bi anode can output both excellent discharge activity and stable discharge process than the counterpart ones. This is attributed to the negative open current potential (OCP) value and thin and loose discharge products film as well as mitigated “chunk effect” (CE). Therefore, extruded Mg-0.5Bi alloy is a promising anode material for Mg-air battery.