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Paper battery from
whatis.com
A paper battery
is a flexible, ultra-thin energy storage and production device formed by
combining carbon nanotube
s with a conventional sheet of cellulose-based paper. A paper battery acts as
both a high-energy battery
and supercapacitor
, combining two components that are separate in traditional electronics
. This combination allows the battery to provide both long-term, steady power
production and bursts of energy. Non-toxic, flexible paper batteries have the
potential to power the next generation of electronics, medical devices and
hybrid vehicles, allowing for radical new designs and medical technologies.
Paper batteries may be folded, cut or otherwise shaped
for different applications without any loss of integrity or efficiency
. Cutting one in half halves its energy production. Stacking them multiplies power
output. Early prototypes of the device are able to produce 2.5 volt
s of electricity from a sample the size of a postage stamp.
The devices are formed by combining cellulose with an
infusion of aligned carbon nanotubes that are each approximately one millionth
of a centimeter thick. The carbon is what gives the batteries their black
color. These tiny filaments act like the electrode
s found in a traditional battery, conducting electricity when the paper comes
into contact with an ionic liquid solution. Ionic liquids contain no water,
which means that there is nothing to freeze or evaporate in extreme
environmental conditions. As a result, paper batteries can function between -75
and 150 degrees Celsius.
One method of manufacture, developed by scientists at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MIT, begins with growing the nanotubes on
a silicon
substrate
and then impregnating the gaps in the matrix with cellulose. Once the matrix
has dried, the material can be peeled off of the substrate, exposing one end of
the carbon nanotubes to act as an electrode
. When two sheets are combined, with the cellulose sides facing inwards, a
supercapacitor is formed that can be activated by the addition of the ionic
liquid. This liquid acts as an electrolyte
and may include salt-laden solutions like human blood, sweat or urine. The high
cellulose content (over 90%) and lack of toxic chemicals in paper batteries
makes the device both biocompatible and environmentally friendly, especially
when compared to the traditional lithium ion
battery used in many present-day electronic devices and laptops.
Widespread commercial deployment of paper batteries will
rely on the development of more inexpensive manufacturing techniques for carbon
nanotubes. As a result of the potentially transformative applications in
electronics, aerospace, hybrid vehicles and medical science, however, numerous
companies and organizations are pursuing the development of paper batteries. In
addition to the developments announced in 2007 at RPI and MIT, researchers in
Singapore announced that they had developed a paper battery powered by ionic
solutions in 2005. NEC has also invested in R & D into paper batteries for
potential applications in its electronic devices.
Specialized paper batteries could act as power sources
for any number of devices implanted in humans and animals, including RFID
tags, cosmetics, drug-delivery systems and pacemakers. A capacitor introduced
into an organism could be implanted fully dry and then be gradudally exposed to
bodily fluids over time to generate voltage. Paper batteries are also
biodegradable, a need only partially addressed by current e-cycling
and other electronics disposal methods increasingly advocated for by the green
computing movement.
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