Revealing the role of Ca on the electrochemical properties of Al–Mg–Sn–Ga–Ca alloy as anodes for Al-air batteries

In this paper, we investigated the influence of calcium (Ca) on the electrochemical and corrosion properties of Al–Mg–Sn–Ga alloys in neutral and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. Results indicate that Ca element promotes the uniform dissolution of the anode and improve its discharge efficiency. The peak energy densities of the Al-0.5Mg-0.1Sn-0.05Ga-0.1Ca alloy in neutral and alkaline solutions are 3361 and 3581 Wh kg−1, respectively. Compared with calcium-free alloy, the increase is 5.3% and 26.5%, respectively. Additionally, the severe intergranular corrosion behavior of Al-0.5Mg-0.1Sn-0.05Ga alloy can be significantly inhibited by adding Ca element under alkaline conditions. Therefore, the addition of Ca element further optimizes the discharge performance of Al–Mg–Sn–Ga-based anodes and enhances its environmental adaptability.