Better battery technology continues to be the linchpin for the creation of new mobile and wearable devices. Designers are looking for battery technologies that are thinner, lighter, and pack more power storage capacity into the space and weight required by the battery. Oh, and flexibility and durability would be nice to have, too.
It appears that a true breakthrough has arrived. The Taiwanese company Prologium has produced just such a battery. Using a ceramic electrolyte with a lithium metal anode. This is a solid-state device that does not require a liquid or gel as in typical lithium ion batteries. Sealed in a plastic pouch, the resulting battery is thin and flexible — much like some of the disposable batteries for wearable devices — but packs more than two times as much power per volume as a lithium-ion design.
What’s more, the battery can be punctured or even cut and continue to function. It also can hold up to high temperatures; one demonstration shows the battery encased in a flexible plastic watchband that was made by injection molding. According to the manufacturer, the battery does not get hot during use and has no risk of burning or exploding as some lithium-ion batteries have done. A lighter, more flexible rechargeable battery could make all sorts of new products practical.
