Scientists Create ‘Toothpaste-Like Battery’ That Can Take Any Shape

It feels like, while we’re making strides in battery life, the designs of batteries themselves have been stuck in the mud for a long time. That might be changing thanks to some Swedish scientists who have created what they claim is a stretchy, squishy, rechargeable battery that is more of a malleable goop than it is the traditional solid brick. Toothpaste is the common comparison other outlets keep making when they describe this electro battery.

It’s made from gooey conductive materials by researchers from Linköping University. The 3D printable material can be stretched to twice its length or squished in the palm of your hand, and it’ll still power your devices. It’s like if Play-Doh could charge your phone.



Tech Could Soon Be Fueled by Stretchable Batteries That Can Take Any ShapeThis could be a game changer that revolutionizes the way we conceptualize what a battery even is. And it’s an advancement that’s coming along as we are already deep into an era where seemingly everything is battery-powered. Current batteries are rigid, often chunky space-wasters.

Even if we can get them small enough to cram into a smartwatch that comfortably fits on our wrists, imagine how much more computing power developers could cram into it if the batteries were just a thin strip of stretchable and switchable material that took up a fraction of the space.The malleability of this new experimental type of battery is made from conductive plastics and a material called lignin, a substance found in wood that is often found as a byproduct of the paper manufacturing process. Lignin usually ends up in the garbage.

If this new squeezable, huggable type of battery takes off, lignin might just have a use yet.It can handle over 500 charge cycles. It can survive aggressive stretching while still powering stuff.

The only downside so far is that it’s not the most efficient charger; it only pushes out 0.9 volts right now. That’s less than your average AA battery.

The team’s already eyeing upgrades with zinc or manganese to crank up the juice.All that sounds great, but here’s the best part: no rare earth materials are needed to make it, and you can toss it in the trash without worrying about polluting because it contains no toxic materials. Imagine a world where all of those little plastic vapes from the gas station weren’t loading landfills with battery acid.

Energy goo might sound like an absurd science fiction technology, but it might actually happen one day. It just might take a while before battery sludge technology makes it out of the lab and into your new iPhone.The post Scientists Create ‘Toothpaste-Like Battery’ That Can Take Any Shape appeared first on VICE.

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