Wetting Interactions of Anode and Electrolyte in Liquid Metal Batteries

In liquid metal batteries, there are three liquid layers (anode, electrolyte, and cathode) stably stratified by density in a metal container. It is important to the function of the battery that the anode maintains contact with the negative current collector, often composed of stainless steel. However, if the electrolyte has superior wetting it can cling to the collector, forcing the anode away. In this study, we characterized the wetting of both anode and electrolyte materials and the interactions between them by using the sessile drop method to measure their contact angles on stainless steel plate. Impurities in the materials and interactions between the layers have a significant effect on the wetting of the system. In order to prevent the displacement of the anode, we want to find a combination of materials that minimizes the anode contact angle and maximizes the electrolyte contact angle.