Researchers at the University of British Columbia have invented a thin, flexible battery that could revolutionize foldable devices like smartphones, smart objects, and even connected clothing.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have created what they say is the first battery that is both flexible and washable. The new battery can work even when it is twisted or stretched to twice its normal length or after washing several times. This is a major advance, since conventional batteries are not water resistant. We had seen other flexible batteries before, but these weren’t able to survive a cycle in a washing machine.
” We were delighted to see that we could throw it in the washing machine with soap and other clothes and that the contents were separated enough from the laundry to keep it working Said John Madden, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the UBC Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory. According to him, the first batteries have already undergone between 36 and 39 washing cycles.
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The battery could be used in clothes or foldable smartphones
According to the researchers, the battery is made of finely ground zinc and manganese dioxide, then embedded in a shell made of plastic polymers. These compounds have the advantage, unlike the lithium-ion of conventional batteries, of not be toxic, which allows these batteries to be worn directly on the skin.
The battery consists of several ultra-thin layers of these polymers wrapped in a case of the same polymer. This construction creates an airtight and waterproof seal that guarantees the integrity of the battery.
For now, researchers are seeing several possible applications for these new flexible batteries. They could be used in clothing, including heated clothing that works with batteries. These would be easily machine washable, since the batteries are water resistant. Other researchers also hope soon to allow you to pay with your clothes without taking out your bank card thanks to the NFC technology.
We imagine that the batteries could also be used in very thin foldable smartphones. For now, these use lithium batteries distributed on both sides of the central hinge. However, a flexible battery would allow manufacturers to create hingeless designs, in addition to increasing device runtime by maximizing the space occupied by the battery.
Source: UBC
