What if the key to longer-lasting, more efficient energy storage lies in how we test the materials at its core? 

In a newly published article in ECS Advances, Mike L. Perry and N. Harsha Attanayake tackle one of the most critical—and often overlooked—challenges in redox flow battery (RFB) development: membrane durability. Their work introduces a comprehensive and forward-thinking screening process designed to identify degradation pathways before they become costly, long-term failures. 

Membrane durability 

Traditionally, membrane testing has focused on chemical stability in highly oxidizing environments. But as Perry and Attanayake reveal in “Screening Process for Assessing the Stability of Advanced Redox-Flow-Battery Membranes,” that’s only part of the story. Their proposed framework expands the lens, offering a suite of accelerated and highly sensitive tests that uncover lesser-known degradation mechanisms—helping researchers predict performance over decades, not just months.  (more…)