A perspective on the key factors of safety for rechargeable magnesium batteries

Rechargeable Mg batteries(RMBs)have become one of the best subsitutes for lithium-ion batteries due to the high volumetric capacity,abundant resources,and uniform plating behavior of Mg metal anode.However,the safety hazard induced by the formation of high-modulue Mg dendrites under a high current density(10 mA cm^(-1))was still revealed in recent years.It has forced researchers to re-examine the safety of RMBs.In this review,the intrinsic safety factors of key components in RMBs,such as uneven plating,pitting and flammability of Mg anode,heat release and crystalline water decomposition of cathode,strong corrosion,low oxidition stability and flammability of electrolytes,and soforth,are systematacially summarized.Their origins,formation mechanisms,and possible safety hazards are deeply discussed.To develop high-performance Mg anode,current strategies including designing artificial SEI,three-dimensional substrates,and Mg alloys are summarized.For practical electrolytes,the configurations of boron-centered anions and simple Mg salts and the functionalized solvent with high boiling point and low flammability are suggested to comprehensively design.In addition,the future study should more focus on the investigation on the thermal runaway and decomposition of cathode materials and separa-tors.This review aims to provide fundamental insights into the relationship between electrochemistry and safety,further promoting the sustainable development of RMBs.

Optically powered gas monitoring system using single-mode fibre for underground coal mines

We present an optically powered,intrinsically safe gas monitoring system to measure four essential environmental gases(CH_(4),CO_(2),CO and O_(2)),together with ambient temperature and pressure,for underground mines.The system is based on three key technologies developed at UNSW:(1)power-over-fbre(PoF)at 1550 nm using a single industry-standard,low-cost single-mode fbre(SMF)for both power delivery and information transmission,(2)liquid–crystal-based optical transducers for optical telemetry,and(3)ultra-low power consumption design of all electronics.Together,this approach allows each gas monitoring station to operate with less than 150 mW of optical power,meeting the intrinsic safety requirements specifed by the IEC60079-28 standard.A 2-month feld trial at BMA’s Broadmeadow underground mine proved the cabling compatibility to the mine’s existing optical network and the stability of the system performance.Compared with conventional electrically powered gas sensors,this technology bypasses the usual roadblocks of underground gas monitoring where electrical power is either unsafe or unavailable.Furthermore,using one fbre for both power delivery and communication enables longer distance coverage,reduces optical cabling and increases multiplexing possibilities and data throughput for better awareness of underground environment.