Abstract:Magnesium is a promising metal used as anodes for chemical power sources. This metal could theoretically provide negative discharge potential and exhibit large capacity during the discharge process. However, when the magnesium anode is adopted for practical applications, several issues, such as the discharge products adhered to the electrode surface, the self-discharge occurring on the anode material, and the detachment of metallic particles, adversely affect its inherently good discharge performance. In this work, the types of chemical power sources using magnesium as anodes were elaborated, and the approaches to enhance its anode performance were analyzed.

Key words: magnesium anode; discharge activity; anodic efficiency; activation mechanism; electrolyte