mit scientists have taken an important step forward in ensuring that buildings not only protect us from the natural environment but also supply energy. they have improved an experimental concrete-based material and developed a battery that stores about ten times more energy than conventional ones.
this new material is called ec³ (electroconductive carbon concrete), and it only requires 5 cubic meters of concrete to meet the daily electricity needs of an average household. by contrast, it is estimated that meeting the same energy demand by 2023 would require about 45 cubic meters of concrete.
to increase the energy density of ec³, the researchers used a high-precision 3d scanning method (fib-sem tomography) to study in detail the carbon nanoparticle network within the concrete. the research team tested various organic electrolytes and ultimately settled on a combination of quaternary ammonium salts and acetonitrile, which enabled the use of thicker electrodes capable of storing more energy.
although the energy density of commercially available batteries remains relatively high, this development represents a significant step forward in rethinking one of the world's most common building materials.
