Local researchers have developed a new rechargeable battery... made out of a paper-like material.
They say it's flexible, light and runs longer than existing batteries,... but more importantly, the risk of it exploding is minimal.
Cho Sung-min reports.
South Korean scientists have come up with a new battery made out of paper-material.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which go into almost all portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones and laptops,...their product is made out of layers of nano-cellulose papers.
The team says this eliminates the possibility of the batteries exploding by a huge margin,... since the material is less vulnerable to heat.
"A plastic separator goes into every lithium-ion battery...and that is the main reason why the batteries blow up sometimes. We replaced it with the new material, and that is preventing our batteries from exploding due to heat or friction."
The team also says it is extremely cost-effective, since the raw materials to make their product cost only three-percent of those required to make the same amount of lithium-ion batteries.
They also run nearly three times longer than rechargable lithium-sulfur batteries and are considered the next generation of power storage devices.
"It comes with a package of neat features. They are light, last longer and can also be bent since they are made out of paper."
Taking into account their characteristics, industry experts predict that once the batteries are commercialized and made available for purchase, they will be used in many applications,... such as drones and small wearable devices.
Cho Sung-min, Arirang News.
