Our technology
Salient Energy built rechargeable zinc ion batteries for stationary energy storage, engineered around safety, cost, and cycle life rather than the energy density that matters in vehicles.
An aqueous, water based electrolyte
The defining choice in Salient's design was the electrolyte. Lithium ion cells use a flammable organic electrolyte, which is the root of the fire and thermal runaway risk associated with those batteries. Salient's cells used a water based, or aqueous, electrolyte instead. Water does not burn, so the single largest safety hazard of conventional batteries is removed at the source. For storage installed inside homes, commercial buildings, and on the grid, that is a decisive advantage, both for safety and for the cost of the fire suppression and engineering that flammable systems require.
A metal oxide intercalation cathode
The cells paired a zinc anode with a metal oxide intercalation cathode. Intercalation means the zinc ions move into and out of the structure of the cathode material repeatedly as the battery charges and discharges, the same fundamental mechanism that gives lithium ion its long, reversible life. Applying that mechanism to a zinc system was the technical core of the work: it aimed at a cell with meaningful capacity and a long cycle life, able to charge and discharge daily for many years without rapid degradation.
Why this combination matters
Safety, cost, and longevity reinforce each other in this design. Zinc is abundant and cheap, the aqueous chemistry is non flammable, and the intercalation cathode targets the cycle life a storage asset needs. None of these comes at the expense of the others, which is what makes zinc ion compelling for the stationary market specifically.
Where it fits
The chemistry targets the applications lithium serves poorly because weight is irrelevant and safety and cost dominate:
- Grid scale storage, balancing supply and demand across the day.
- Commercial and residential backup, where a non flammable battery indoors is a real benefit.
- Storing solar energy generated by day for use after dark.
For a side by side look at the trade offs, see zinc ion versus lithium ion.