Common red masonry bricks – the same type used in construction projects, including many data centers – can be adapted and used to store electricity, researchers claim.
A team from Washington University in St. Louis has found that the red pigment in bricks can trigger a chemical reaction, in much the same way rust occurs, that enables bricks to store a significant amount of energy.
Specialized bricks aren’t required; the synthesis works with any kind of brick, according to an article published on the university’s news site. The team used common bricks bought from the Home Depot in Brentwood, Missouri, for 65 cents apiece.
