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Power

A Biodegradable Paper Battery Might Reduce E-Waste (abc.net.au) 23

Posted by BeauHD from the proof-of-concept dept.
"Swiss researchers have developed a prototype disposable graphite-anode zinc-air battery that can be printed on a paper substrate, which they hope will reduce e-waste by replacing button cells in disposable paper-mounted electronics," writes Slashdot reader drinkypoo. "They demonstrated using it to operate a LCD digital clock." Here's an excerpt from the research published today in Scientific Report: The battery is based on a metal-air electrochemical cell that uses Zinc as a biodegradable metal in the anode, graphite in the cathode, paper as a separator between the electrodes, and a water-based electrolyte. In addition to paper's inherent biodegradability, sustainability and low cost, this design takes advantage of its natural wicking behavior and hygroscopic nature; The battery remains inactive until it contacts with water which then passively absorbs and transports across the paper membrane, thus activating the battery. The anode and cathode materials developed in this work are compatible with additive manufacturing techniques and we demonstrate that the battery can be stencil printed in a wide range of shapes and sizes. "The current collector is composed of graphite flakes, carbon black, shellac and ethanol," adds drinkypoo.
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A Biodegradable Paper Battery Might Reduce E-Waste More

A Biodegradable Paper Battery Might Reduce E-Waste

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  • This is almost but not quite Bedford law of headlines.

    Batteries made of paper are going to be sub optimal, they will only have niches where somehow you want a battery in some paper. Like say a powered newspaper with videos or WiFi.

    • And I might give up sarcasm. Do not hold your breath though.

    • Re:Ha. No. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Tony Isaac ( 1301187 ) on Friday July 29, 2022 @12:37AM (#62743468) Homepage

      The most common paper-mounted button batteries are greeting cards that include an audio element such as voice or music. This type of application will work just fine with "sub-optimal." The juice needs to last only a few seconds, long enough to play the short clip a few times, and then nobody cares. If you're in to those greeting cards, it seems like a perfect application of the technology to me.

      • I got one of these cards (Minion) for the first time ever a few months ago. I was pleased. It turns out that I was putting together a reference signal for calibrating the input of a (wrist)watch microphone into an escapement analyser program. (Using a OXCO 10MHz crystal divided to 1PPS.) The speaker from the greeting card was perfect for getting the 1PPS signal to the microphone.

        Best wishes,
        Bob

    • Perhaps it'll encourage manufacturers, especially of the dollar store variety, to produce more single use plastic trinkets &/or add frivolous & pointless electronics to other products. I can only see this increasing the amount of toxic waste rather than reducing it.

  • Women might find it useful (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    When they are done with it, they can wipe their ass with it and flush it down the toilet?

  • What is more biodegradable than a potato or lemon?
    The only reason is that you can't patent a potato anymore.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

    • Re: Duh, a potato or lemon can run a LCD clock (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Åke Malmgren ( 3402337 ) on Friday July 29, 2022 @02:08AM (#62743542)
      The potato or lemon is only the electrolyte and separator, and they won't keep fresh until the battery is ready for use. Zinc-air is proven tech, with high energy density (the very highest, AFAIK) but low power density, and high self discharge once activated. Having this be fully biodegradable instead of in a button cell is an improvement.
      • Yes but potatoes and lemons do not store well into the long term, and they are bulky. Lemons are prone to mould while potatoes are prone to sprouting and rot. Paper-based batteries are compact and would store for decades (as long as they are kept in dry conditions). The paper is great - it gives the full recipe and explains the process, including means of adding cells in parallel in the same paper sheet- which allows for adjustable voltages. The only piece that I missed was an estimate of the power storag

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Mozai ( 3547 )
        "with high energy density (the very highest, AFAIK) but low power density..."

        What?

        • You can get lots of energy per unit weight, but only slowly over time. In contrast, consider a car battery, which doesn't store a lot of energy for its weight, but you can get it all out in a matter of minutes.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Mozai ( 3547 )
            You said "high power density but low power density" That maps to "high X but low X". I think you meant to use two different words, not the same word twice.
            • I didn't. Reread my post (or your quote of it).

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by Mozai ( 3547 )
                Before I wrote my second reply I copy-pasted, I even put it into two different text editors to make sure "density" was spelled the same way both times. How the hell did I not see "power" even in my own first message. I'm having a Berensteen Bears moment.

                • It's Berenstone, by the way!

                  The funny thing is that I read the sentence just fine, and then you made me think Åke _did_ make a mistake, so you fooled me into making the same mistake you did at first.

  • I do wonder why they felt the need to put it in what's essentially a pay to publish journal if it's that revolutionary...

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