A Bend in Technology

When people think of ground-breaking technologies, one of the last things that comes to mind is a battery. These seemingly simple devices can be found all around. Batteries are found in flashlights, remote controls, watches, laptops, cars, cellular phones and now, even in the human body. As for all devices designed to facilitate our lives, there are many downsides to batteries. One being the hazardous chemicals found in batteries which makes them nearly impossible to safely dispose of. Another drawback is the battery life itself. With the exception of rechargeable batteries, common batteries such as Duracell, Panasonic and Energiser, depending on their usage, need to be replaced every few weeks. If only there was someone who could help …
Engineers from NEC as well as researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MIT have developed a new “organic” battery. This battery requires a charge of only 30 seconds to reach 80% of its capacity. This tiny battery was developed as a response to the ever-expanding electronics market. This very flexible battery is made up of 90% cellulose (a plant fiber) which is also used to make paper. Being about the size of a normal identification or credit card (and no thicker), this new battery is extremely light and extremely flexible. One of its intended uses is to be placed in RFID cards which would provide enough energy to keep the cards running for several weeks before the batteries require a recharge.
These new batteries would be greatly beneficial to organizations due to the fact that they require very little space and maintenance while delivering high energy throughout the enterprise. The batteries could be used to power laptops, printers, fax machines, and they could even come in useful in the event of a power outage. These batteries are also a great asset for those environmentally conscious enterprises who are following the “green trend”.
One of the upsides of this new technology is its ability to withstand extreme temperatures ranging from 50ºC down to -70ºC. Being chemical-free and liquid-proof this battery is a great candidate for powering medical devices such as heart pacers. Another medical plus for this product? It can feed off the electrolytes found in human sweat, blood and urine making it ideal for medical devices. These batteries are so light and powerful, they could be used in cars, aircrafts and maybe even boats. These batteries are the answer to today’s demand of newer, and consequently, smaller devices such as cellular phones, MP3s, lap tops, etc. Society is becoming more and more environmentally conscious and these batteries pose no harm to the environment as they can be safely disposed of.
However, like all new and exciting technologies, there are downsides to this seemingly perfect supercapacitator. Due to its small size and translucent color (although similar batteries have been made with carbon, giving it a grey-ish tint), these batteries would be impossible to find if ever they were to be lost. Also, these batteries require a very intricate and time-consuming process to be completed. Therefore, a less time consuming and inexpensive method of production would definitely be needed if these batteries were to hit the market.

Sources

1) Flexible Battery is Paper Thin (2007)
Retrieved September 30, 2007 from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/14/scibatt114.xml
2) Flexible Battery Power (2007)
Retrieved September 30, 2007 from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070323141052.htm
3) Lee, Chris (August 13, 2007)
Scientists create paper-thin, biodegradable battery
Retrieved September 30, 2007 from
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070813-scientists-create-paper-thin-flexible-biodegradable-battery.html
4) Williams, Martyn (December 9, 2007)
NEC Develops Thin, Flexible Battery
Retrieved September 30, 2007 from
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,123875-page,1/article.html