The manufacturer Flint has developed a battery made entirely of paper and other environmentally friendly materials. The battery can biodegrade within six weeks without leaving any harmful substances behind.
The operation of this battery, which was unveiled at the CES 2025 tech fair, is based on a special structure. In it, a hydrogel – a gel-like substance that contains a lot of water – functions as both the dividing wall and the electrolyte, the material that connects the two terminals of the battery.
Instead of traditional materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, this battery also uses zinc and manganese. These elements are not only safer to use, but also more widely available and less harmful to the environment.
Safer and cheaper
Safety is also an important advantage of this technology. While conventional batteries can leak or even explode if damaged, Flint says this paper battery continues to work even after being punctured, cut or deformed.
Another big advantage, says the Singapore company, is the production costs. These would amount to just a fraction of what it costs to manufacture a lithium-ion battery.
Energy capacity still needs to be increased
Flint now has two million dollars received seed capital and plans to open a pilot plant in Singapore. This will be followed by production facilities in China, India, the United States and Vietnam.
However, you will not immediately see these batteries in many gadgets. Each copy delivers a capacity of 600 milliampere hours, much less than the battery in your smartphone, for example. So far, this has only made the battery suitable for powering less energy-intensive devices.
In production at the end of this year
The first commercial paper batteries are expected to roll off the production line at the end of this year. The company is currently working on improvements to increase energy capacity, so that the batteries are also suitable for devices that consume more power, such as smartphones and laptops.
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Source: www.bright.nl
