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Startup Unveils Revolutionary New Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries (nytimes.com)
Slashdot reader cdreimer quotes the New York Times:
Alkaline batteries can be made far more cheaply and safely than today's lithium-ion batteries, but they are not rechargeable... Ionic Materials could change that equation with an alkaline battery the company said could be recharged hundreds of times. One additional benefit of the company's breakthrough: An alkaline battery would not be as prone to the combustion issues that have plagued lithium-ion batteries in a range of products, most notably some Samsung smartphones. Cheaper and more powerful batteries are also considered by many to be the driver needed to make the cost of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar competitive with the coal, gas and nuclear power that support the national energy grid.
The company "has demonstrated up to 400 recharge cycles for its prototypes," and it's now even investigating aluminum-based alkaline batteries which would also be lighter than lithium-ion batteries. The company is backed by Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, who also envisions the batteries being used in electric cars.
The company "has demonstrated up to 400 recharge cycles for its prototypes," and it's now even investigating aluminum-based alkaline batteries which would also be lighter than lithium-ion batteries. The company is backed by Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, who also envisions the batteries being used in electric cars.
Let's say you charge your car once a day.
If the battery costs a fraction and weights half of a lithium-ion battery, that means longer range for your car and taking recycling into account, it could be better in every way especially if the recycling percentage is higher and the leftovers are less damaging to the environment.
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Rechargeable alkaline batteries aren't something new, if anything battery manufacturers have tried to make the chemistry and cells _less_ rechargeable over the years to earn more. I read an article in the 90's that described charging alkaline batteries then (using cells not intended to be recharged) and also told the history of the batteries and charging with examples from the technical evolution that didn't significantly increase capacity but made the cells much harder to recharge. Can't remember where I read it sadly.
With that said I'll applaud all _real_ improvements in batteries no matter their chemistry.