Bending Ice: Unlocking a Clean Energy Source 1,000 Times More Powerful

For most people, ice is a hazard: slippery roads, traffic accidents, icy sidewalks. But a research team led by Professor Xin Wen at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China has discovered a special property of ice – the ability to generate electricity when bent, called “electric flexure.”

Ice blocks can generate electricity when bent, opening up new potential for technological applications. (Source: Interestingengineering)

This phenomenon has been recorded before in colliding glaciers or stretched ice sheets, but the electricity generated was too weak for practical applications. The breakthrough this time came from adding salt to the ice.

Salt – a catalyst that creates an electric current 1,000 times stronger

In their experiments, the team froze water with different concentrations of NaCl, forming ice samples in the shape of cones, beams, and sheets. When they performed a three-point bending test – placing the ice sample on two supports and pushing it downwards – they recorded that the current generated was up to 1,000 times stronger than pure ice.

Microscopic and Raman spectroscopy analysis showed that the salt prevents the ice from freezing completely, creating microscopic channels of saltwater. As the ice bends, the liquid in these channels moves, carrying electrical charges and creating an electric current.

Regular rock produces relatively little current when stretched, but when a block of rock salt is bent the liquid brine flowing inside creates a stronger current. (Source: Getty Images)

Potential applications and challenges

Ice covers about 10% of the Earth’s surface. If this energy source can be harnessed, cold regions – where traditional energy sources are difficult to access – could be supplied with clean electricity from the natural environment.

Not only stopping at Earth, the research team also hopes that this phenomenon can be applied to icy moons like Europa or Enceladus - where underground oceans are suspected to exist and can become "natural laboratories" for new energy technology.

Despite its potential, the technology faces challenges. After multiple bending cycles, the salt tape’s ability to generate electricity drops by as much as 80%. Its performance also falls short of commercial piezoelectric devices, as most of the energy is lost as heat.

However, it is still an important step forward in the quest for sustainable energy. Ice – once a winter scourge – could now become a potential partner in the global energy transition.

Minh Hoan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/be-cong-bang-khai-pha-nguon-nang-luong-sach-manh-hon-1-000-lan-ar966219.html