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Printable Batteries Should Arrive Next Year

Posted by timothy on from the return-to-the-goodness-of-aa dept.

FullBandwidth writes "Paper-thin batteries that can be printed onto greeting cards or other flexible substrates have been demonstrated at Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems in Germany. The batteries have a relatively short life span, as the anode and cathode materials dissipate over time. However, they contain no hazardous materials."

9 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Duration by raving+griff · · Score: 3, Informative

    The idea is that these batteries will only be used for items that need very little battery power, like cards with audio greetings or to light signs announcing yard sales, parties, etc, that will only need to be lit for a day or two.

  2. Old news (and semi-dupe) by FST · · Score: 4, Informative

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did this already, as mentioned in this article from a couple years back.

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    1. Re:Old news (and semi-dupe) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well there's a few differences between the two. Rensselaer's invention was largely based on cellulose whereas the Fraunhofer battery is a matter of zinc and manganese. While the Rensselaer battery actually seemed to be paper (and had the capability to be stacked to produce more power) the Fraunhofer battery seems to be "paper-thin" instead of actual paper. Also, based on the article, I find it unlikely the stacking for additional power output would work.

      Further, Rensselaer said they weren't able to figure out a cheap way to mass produce. According to the article, the Fraunhofer battery seems to be fairly cheap already if they're "aiming at a price point under 10 cents per card" instead of a generic "We gotta make it cheaper."

      They're similar technologies if all you think of it is "it's a thin battery", but in actuality are nowhere near the same.

  3. Re:Imagine a stack of 'em by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Informative

    It'll be interesting to see whether he kills himself doing so or not. Batteries(of any standard chemistry, there might be something exotic out there) in parallel are pretty much harmless to any human who hasn't been flayed and dipped in graphite; but put enough of them together in series and you can get a pretty zesty high voltage DC source(youtube and friends are infested with videos of people playing with large quantities of 9-volts, they conveniently clip together in long chains for the purpose).

    Not a huge surprise if you think about it; but anybody who thinks "Batteries = safe, Mains = dangerous" might be in for a surprise if they try on a large enough scale...

  4. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    You must be new here...

  5. Re:Aging and leakage by pitterpatter · · Score: 2, Informative

    From TFA:

    Fraunhofer's batteries use zinc anodes and manganese cathodes, which react with one another to produce electricity.

    My copy of the CRC Handbook does not list zinc and manganese as organic compounds. Do I need to upgrade my library?

    While I agree that these elements do not currently have the bad press enjoyed, probably quite deservedly, by lead and mercury, I'm reminded of the calomel taken as the primary medical treatment by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Scientific thought 200 years ago pointed to mercury as a cure for almost anything that ailed you. Times do change.

    Make no mistake, I think that having printable batteries using zinc and manganese is a wonderful thing. I just want to point out that those of you in the environmental movement can be counted on to find something wrong with this technology too, if it becomes popular.

  6. These guys would be really surprised... by dtmos · · Score: 3, Informative

    Power Paper. Screen-printed zinc-manganese batteries on paper and polymer substrates are at least ten years old. (They're not the only supplier, either.)

  7. Re:Imagine a stack of 'em by dkf · · Score: 2, Informative

    On the plus side, the ability of a 9 volt to deliver high currents isn't all that hot(compared to, say, a microwave transformer) so you'd be less likely to suffer massive damage from thermal effects, unless the lot caught fire. A similarly long chain of lead acid batteries would be substantially nastier in that regard.

    That's because the 9 volt battery (deliberately) has quite a lot of internal resistance. Makes it much safer if there is an external short, at a cost of limiting it to low-current applications.

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  8. Prior Art by eonlabs · · Score: 3, Informative

    Power Paper has been producing printable battery tech for YEARS

    http://www.powerpaper.com/home.php

    Surprisingly, they've taken it into the cosmetics business.

    Who wants to find another wheel we can reinvent.

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    I wouldn't consider the mad hatter mad. Just reality impaired. He sure can make a mean cup of tea.