Imagine that Nike FuelBand is only as big as the ring worn on the index finger, and the phone is as soft and thin as a credit card. If the battery can be thin and flexible, and the energy is strong enough, then these devices can be made as you think. Facts show that batteries are the main obstacle to the design of modern electronic products. California startup Imprint Energy is committed to breaking this barrier. The company has developed a new type of zinc battery, which is expected to allow electronic equipment manufacturers to break through the limitations of standard lithium batteries. The company's technology comes from research at the University of California, Berkeley. At present, the company has started to produce such ultra-thin, high-energy, flexible and cheap rechargeable batteries for trial customers in small batches. The raw material used in this battery is not lithium, but zinc, and screen printing technology is also used in the production process. Imprint Energy CEO Devin MacKenzie (Devin MacKenzie) said that standard lithium-ion batteries are difficult to be thin and flexible, and because lithium chemistry is very active, it requires a lot of packaging to ensure the safety of lithium-ion batteries. If you have watched online videos of lithium-ion batteries catching fire in the air and even in water, you will understand this. This structure also makes lithium ion electronics destined to be hard and huge. Even the thinnest laptop of the Macbook Air or a tablet computer like the iPad, its design is limited by the size and weight of the battery. Nike FuelBand uses a curved lithium polymer battery, but if you carefully observe the shape of the wristband, you can find that the battery is the only part of the wristband that cannot be bent. Advantages of zinc batteries Imprint Energy's battery solves the volume and flexibility problems of lithium batteries. The company was founded by PhD students Christine Ho and Brooks Kincaid at the University of California, Berkeley. It has recently received seed investment from Dow Chemical and CIA In-Q-Tel Ventures. The anode of this battery is zinc, the cathode is metal oxide, and the electrolyte is a solid polymer. The yin and yang poles are located on both sides of the battery, and zinc ions flow from the anode to the cathode in the electrolyte to initiate a chemical reaction, thereby continuously generating electrical energy. McKenzie said that although zinc has long been used in batteries, zinc batteries are difficult to recharge. This is because when zinc is combined with a liquid electrolyte, a substance called dendrite is produced, and this fine fiber will continue to grow and hinder the charging reaction. Imprint Energy solves this problem by combining zinc and solid polymer electrolytes. Because zinc is not very active in the environment, Imprint's battery can be much thinner or as small as a few hundred microns (broadband of two hairs). This ultra-mini battery can be used for digital smart labels, such as labels to check the freshness of food. In addition, zinc also makes Imprint's batteries safer and less toxic than lithium batteries. The Imprint team can produce lithium batteries in the open air. For devices worn on people or even implanted in the body, zinc batteries are a safer option. Imagine how terrifying it would be if a heart device using a lithium battery was inserted into the human chest cavity, and the battery leaked lithium into the human body. Printable battery Another major innovation of Imprint Energy is that it uses standard screen printing technology to print the battery. Most batteries are coated with raw materials on metal foil, and then assembled them called batteries. Mackenzie demonstrated their battery printers and screens like printed t-shirts at the Alamada laboratory at Imprint Energy. The battery raw materials can be printed in any shape according to customer requirements. Of course, customers need to pay extra for customized shapes. The laboratory can currently produce 100 batteries per day, which is small enough to meet the sample needs of potential customers. In the next two or three years, the company may begin mass production. However, it may not build its own factory, but cooperate with the manufacturer or provide technical authorization. Aim at wearable devices Although Imprint Energy is just getting started, its ultimate goal is the wearable device market, which includes both the consumer market (such as Nike FuelBand and Fitbit), as well as the healthcare market (such as implantable monitoring devices). This new battery will benefit the wearable device industry. Given that wearable electronic devices are still an emerging industry, they may become mainstream in the next few years, and breakthrough designs may revolutionize the industry. 2 Tier 304 Stainless Steel Dish Rack 2 Tier 304 Stainless Steel Dish Rack,2 Tier Dish Drainer,Stainless Kitchen Rack,Stainless Steel Plate Rack Jiangmen Jianghai Jianshang Houseware Co.,LTD. , https://www.jianshanghouseware.com