A Lithium-Ion Battery That You Can Scrunch (ieee.org) 21
An anonymous reader quotes a report from IEEE Spectrum: Busan-based firm Jenax has spent the past few years developing J.Flex, an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ultra-thin, flexible, and rechargeable. With the arrival of so many wearable gadgets, phones with flexible displays, and other portable gizmos, "we're now interacting with machines on a different level from what we did before," says EJ Shin, head of strategic planning at Jenax. "What we're doing at Jenax is putting batteries into locations where they couldn't be before," says Shin. Her firm demonstrated some of those new possibilities last week at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.
The devices shown by Jenax included a sensor-lined football helmet developed by UK-based firm HP1 Technologies to measure pressure and force of impact; a medical sensor patch designed in France that will be embedded in clothing to monitor a wearer's heart rate; and wearable power banks in the form of belts and bracelets for patients who must continuously be hooked up to medical devices. To make batteries flexible, companies play around with the components of a battery cell, namely the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and membrane separator. In the case of Jenax, which has more than 100 patents protecting its battery technology, Shin says the secret to its flexibility lies in "a combination of materials, polymer electrolyte, and the know-how developed over the years." J.Flex is made from graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, but its exact composition and architecture remains a secret. "J.Flex can be as thin as 0.5 millimeters (suitable for sensors), and as tiny as 20 by 20 millimeters (mm) or as large as 200 by 200 mm," the report adds. "Its operating voltage is between 3 and 4.25 volts. Depending on the size, battery capacity varies from 10 milliampere-hours to 5 ampere-hours, with close to 90 percent of this capacity remaining after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles. Each charge typically takes an hour. J. Flex's battery life depends on how it's used, Shin says -- a single charge can last for a month in a sensor, but wouldn't last that long if the battery was powering a display."
The devices shown by Jenax included a sensor-lined football helmet developed by UK-based firm HP1 Technologies to measure pressure and force of impact; a medical sensor patch designed in France that will be embedded in clothing to monitor a wearer's heart rate; and wearable power banks in the form of belts and bracelets for patients who must continuously be hooked up to medical devices. To make batteries flexible, companies play around with the components of a battery cell, namely the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and membrane separator. In the case of Jenax, which has more than 100 patents protecting its battery technology, Shin says the secret to its flexibility lies in "a combination of materials, polymer electrolyte, and the know-how developed over the years." J.Flex is made from graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, but its exact composition and architecture remains a secret. "J.Flex can be as thin as 0.5 millimeters (suitable for sensors), and as tiny as 20 by 20 millimeters (mm) or as large as 200 by 200 mm," the report adds. "Its operating voltage is between 3 and 4.25 volts. Depending on the size, battery capacity varies from 10 milliampere-hours to 5 ampere-hours, with close to 90 percent of this capacity remaining after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles. Each charge typically takes an hour. J. Flex's battery life depends on how it's used, Shin says -- a single charge can last for a month in a sensor, but wouldn't last that long if the battery was powering a display."
10 mah (Score:2)
"but wouldn't last that long if the battery was powering a display"
I would think maybe seconds...
Re: (Score:2)
I think it might be hours.
Still somewhat "in the future"... (Score:2)
But at least it's closer to realization than most of the "battery breakthrough" stories we've been seeing the past year or to - or so they claim. From TFA:
'To that end, Jenax has recently developed a special semi-solid electrolyte. “We went to one of the biggest causes of battery explosions and made it non-flammable,” says Shin of the new gel polymer, which will be incorporated into all J.Flex batteries this year. Jenax looks to set up its first production line for that battery in South Korea by
Re:Still somewhat "in the future"... (Score:5, Insightful)
That's pretty amazing. No one has developed a semi-solid electrolyte before.
Re:Still somewhat "in the future"... (Score:5, Insightful)
I think we should toss it in the same bucket with water from air devices, solar roadways, Hyperloops, and living on Mars. It is all gonna happen if we just wish it true (and send money).
Re: (Score:2)
Solar fricken’ roadways.
The “fricken’” part is a dog whistle for investors of the necessary intelligence level to fall for such a scheme. It’s like how Nigerian scammers intentionally leave in all those spelling errors.
Non-self-immolating batteries are better (Score:4, Interesting)
While flexible batteries are nice, they will still self-immolate when punctured. This is problematic, especially if it's part of something you wear on your body. It seems to me that it would be best to perfect solid-state lithium batteries first and then move to flexible versions. Frankly, I wouldn't want to wear something that could burst into flames when punctured and putting it on a patient is just asking for problems.
Re: (Score:1)
I think they're claiming they've figured out how to have that not happen. They use the word "non flammable". That would be the real takeaway from this article.
Batteries can explode when their electrolytes—typically organic fluids that facilitate quick ion movement but are yet incredibly flammable—leak out, or when the cathode and anode come close together, as might be the case when you bend flexible batteries. “The key [to safety] is to find good electrolytes or good ion-conducting membranes,” says Kotov.
To that end, Jenax has recently developed a special semi-solid electrolyte. “We went to one of the biggest causes of battery explosions and made it non-flammable,” says Shin of the new gel polymer, which will be incorporated into all J.Flex batteries this year. Jenax looks to set up its first production line for that battery in South Korea by the end of 2020, a move that will make it cost-competitive with traditional lithium-ion batteries, says Shin.
Re: (Score:1)
If they've really developed a non-flammable lithium battery, how long before consumer devices are required by law to use their technology, at a cushy licensing cost? Especially if you want to take that phone on an airplane.
If it works, it could be a very sound investment.
Re: Non-self-immolating batteries are better (Score:4)
Re: (Score:2)
Frankly, I wouldn't want to wear something that could burst into flames when punctured and putting it on a patient is just asking for problems.
Especially if there is an oxygen supply involved.
Re: (Score:1)
While flexible batteries are nice, they will still self-immolate when punctured. This is problematic, especially if it's part of something you wear on your body. It seems to me that it would be best to perfect solid-state lithium batteries first and then move to flexible versions. Frankly, I wouldn't want to wear something that could burst into flames when punctured and putting it on a patient is just asking for problems.
So you are saying that all these batteries will be good at is as squibs to highlight a bullet wound?
Finally (Score:2)
I always thought in the future we would have shower scrunchies that would deliver a powerful electric exfoliation current as you scrubbed! Huzzah!
Fashion jewelry doubles as battery and flash drive (Score:2)
Spy tech for the 21st century.
What is the environmental impact? (Score:1)
Battery life depends on power used? (Score:2)
Who would have thought that! This is a completely, unheard off new effect!
In other news, science scores of the general population continue to drop and even obvious things have to be explained now.