Paper-thin batteries by 2010 - CIOL News Reports

Paper-thin batteries by 2010

The batteries are said to use zinc anodes and manganese cathodes, which react with one another to produce electricity

Thursday, July 09, 2009

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SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Come 2010, and a group of German researchers will be ready to showcase to the world paper thin batteries.

The invention is the culmination of efforts aimed at commercializing printable batteries that pattern organic semiconductors onto paper-thin, flexible substrates.

It is expected the new product will be ready for launch next year. Aiming at applications such as smart credit cards with battery-powered displays to show balances and other account information, the product is being developed by scientists at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems in collaboration with colleagues from Chemnitz University of Technology and Menippos GmbH collaborated on product development.

The batteries are said to use zinc anodes and manganese cathodes, which react with one another to produce electricity.

The materials slowly dissipate over the lifetime of the battery, making them suitable for short-term applications like greeting cards with built-in music players, according to a report in the EE Times.

It is expected that a price tag of less that 10 cents will be attached per card. It is believed that the small, thin battery can be mass-produced using conventional printers, and then applied to flexible substrates.

It has been pointed out in the report that printable batteries for smart cards could weigh less than 1 gram and measure less that 1-mm thick.

Just as in the case of conventional batteries, the organic materials produce 1.5 volts per cell, but use no hazardous chemicals like the heavy metals in conventional rechargeable and alkaline batteries, the report added.

©CIOL Bureau