Printable Batteries Not a Concept Anymore

Posted by Sierra Monica B. in Science on 07 3rd, 2009 | no responses

If in the past printable batteries were just an impressive concept, recently they became reality, thanks to the researchers and developers teams at TU Chemnitz and Menippos GmbH, led by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Baumann of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz.

Standard batteries are heavy because of their bulky construction, but in the very near future, the developers will introduce printable batteries thinner than a millimeter and lighter than a gram. Their production involving a printing process is very cost-effective and the first samples will probably be available by the end of this year, according to the latest Fraunhofer press release.

One of the uses will be in bank cards. You won’t need to keep the TAN number written on a piece of paper close to you anymore, but just touch the EC card to reveal the number on the tiny integrated display.

These mercury-free batteries of 1.5V voltage are composed of a zinc anode and a manganese cathode, which react to produce electricity. As both the anode and cathode layers dissipate in time, due to the chemical process, the printable batteries will have applicability in devices with limited life span, such as bank cards, greeting cards and other similar products. It is also possible to place several batteries in a row to achieve 3 V, 4.5 V and 6 V voltages.