Recently, scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced that they have developed a "body fluid battery" that can generate electricity from electrolytes in body fluids. This marks a step closer to the real emergence of the “bio-energy battery”. Scientists hope that "bioenergy batteries" can rely on body fluids or other organic compounds excreted by humans to generate electricity, such as tears and urine.
This battery is not only as thin as a piece of paper, but in fact it is a piece of paper itself. Because 90% of the material in the battery is plant fiber – an essential ingredient in traditional papermaking, it is widely found in a variety of paper and paper products. The remaining 10% of the material is oriented carbon nanotubes, whose primary role is to conduct electricity, and because of its presence, the battery appears black. These carbon nanotubes are embedded in the gaps of the paper fibers, and the finished products become nanocomposite paper. One of the developers said that the battery looks and feels like a paper.
This nanotechnology-enabled battery is made of paper-like: light and flexible. Moreover, since the energy source is an electrolyte in the body fluid (which can be supplemented by eating), it is very suitable for use in medical devices. It can be used even if it is detached from the human body. You only need to immerse it in an ionic liquid containing electrolyte.
Good stretch performance is also one of the advantages of this battery. R & D personnel said that in the future, after the battery is put into mass production, it can be made into a strip like a paper, and then the user can cut it into a desired shape. This nano-compliant material retains its original properties even after being pierced, folded, etc., and because it is thin and light, it does not cause discomfort even if it is implanted into the human body. Therefore, it is used for cardiac pacemakers, prostheses, etc., which need to be implanted into the human body. The utensils are very good.
In addition, the electrolyte solution has a wide application temperature, and it is not as easy to condense or boil as water, and can maintain a liquid state in the range of -100 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, it can still be used normally under extreme temperature conditions. In this way, it can also be a perfect source of energy for vehicles, airplanes, etc., because they require batteries that are both thin, heat-resistant and cold-resistant.
But researchers say that the battery is far more than that, it can even be a high-energy battery, or a high-voltage capacitor. It can be used in equipment that requires huge, explosive energy. It can be said that the potential of this battery is endless.
Conventional batteries leave a lot of contaminants after use, and such batteries do not. Because the raw materials it uses are basically free of harmful chemicals, they are environmentally friendly. Of course, it will take time to get this high-tech battery to the market. The research team is working hard to improve the performance of this battery, while at the same time working on the development of the best production methods, to bring this battery to market as soon as possible.