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LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. scientists said they have invented a cheap, long-lasting and flexible battery made of aluminum for use in smartphones that can be charged in as little as one minute.
The researchers, who detailed their discovery in the journal Nature, said the new aluminum-ion battery has the potential to replace lithium-ion batteries, used in millions of laptops and mobile phones.
Besides recharging much faster, the new aluminum battery is safer than existing lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames, they added.
Researchers have long tried but failed to develop a battery made of aluminum, a lightweight and relatively inexpensive metal that has high charging capacity.
A team lead by chemistry professor Hongjie Dai at Stanford University in California made a breakthrough by accidentally discovering that graphite made a good partner to aluminum, Stanford said in a statement.
In a prototype, aluminum was used to make the negatively-charged anode while graphite provided material for the positively charged cathode.
A prototype aluminum battery recharged in one minute, the scientists said.
originally posted by: Aleister
I bet some spoiled 21st century teens will complain that a minute is too long. Then again, a self-charging solar (and by solar I mean any light source) battery will someday replace this minute-miracle, and people will remember when they were kids and actually had to recharge their phones.
originally posted by: pryingopen3rdeye
a reply to: Answer
something that is more efficient and cheaper?! im sure this is the last we'll hear of it then...
to many times "scientists discover" blank awesome new technology that ought to replace whatever current tech and it never does.... it has to be more profitable, thats the missing variable for success here, if it is more profitable then itll replace current standards in no time flat,
do these batteries loose their ability to hold a charge in time? do they need replacing every once in a while? if not then they wont be the new standard, lots of money made off those two faults in our current battery production methods.
originally posted by: pryingopen3rdeye
a reply to: Answer
something that is more efficient and cheaper?! im sure this is the last we'll hear of it then...
to many times "scientists discover" blank awesome new technology that ought to replace whatever current tech and it never does....