Imagine the old workhorse ALKALINE battery now becomes rechargeable!
Duracell, Rayovac, Eveready, Energizer, et al, might all go out of business!..............
Will they be more efficient at leaking all over and destroying our electronics?
Old.school alkaline batteries use manganese....The ocean floor is littered with polymetal nodules loaded with manganese. The Norwegians have started commercial production off their ocean EEZ area. Why....800+wh/kg no cobalt from the DRC and no nickel from China or Africa.
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/manganese-lithium-ion-battery-energy-density
Adding silica to the other electrode would also increase energy density in theory above 1200wh/kg or higher using lithium as the ion. Lithium is 1+ , calcium 2+, magnesium 2+, Iron is 2+ or 3+, aluminum is 3+ this means what a given anode/cathode does with lithium ions it will do twice as much with the any 2+ ion and triple with a 3+ ion. It’s one election for lithium vs 2 or 3 for higher metals. Silica already forms ion bonds with every one of those in 95% of rocks in the crust naturally so silica is the universal anode.