Energy firm says its nuclear-waste fueled diamond batteries could last thousands of years

I seem to remember a couple of weeks ago there was a Russian company that announced they were developing the same type battery. Now a Stateside company seems to be working on the same thing. I hope this research pans out to finished products.

A cellphone power source that lasts nine years. An auto-battery pack that lasts nearly a century. A pacemaker that is powered to last 28,000 years.

These surreal claims are being made by a California-based battery company that says successful early test results recently competed on a nano-diamond battery brings them closer to realizing such claims.

The key to their revolutionary batteries is radioactive nuclear waste. There are massive quantities of leftover nuclear waste from nuclear plant facilities. Such waste is extremely toxic, lasts thousands of years and poses a challenge when it comes to disposing of it (burying and encasing it) safely.

The company, NDB, says it can safely utilize this waste to generate power in its nano diamond batteries. It can achieve this by processing graphite nuclear waste into a pure form and then converting it into diamonds. As the waste product enveloped by the diamond decays, it interacts with the carbon to generate a small electric current.

Depending on the power drain, the battery, which never needs recharging, would last for a user's lifetime, and beyond.

techxplore.com...

a reply to: 727Sky

Lifetime Warranty Sounds Great!

Will this battery cost less than the car?

But it's likely that If you have an accident, the entire neighborhood might be shut down for a few days while HAZMAT crews clean up.

And the driver will have to be decontaminated and quarantined until the Geiger-counter gives him/her the all-clear.

a reply to: carewemust

The amount of radiation would be less than found in the human body. There wouldn't be a hazmat spill requiring cleanup.

a reply to: 727Sky

What they are doing is simple use x-ray and gamma to supply power. A typical solar cell can do that problem is the shielding that it would require to make it safe for consumers. this would be a great way to contaminate everything without the nuclear fallout. I think I will pass and avoid dying of radiation poisoning.

a reply to: 727Sky

thunderf00t was not a fan

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: carewemust

The amount of radiation would be less than found in the human body. There wouldn't be a hazmat spill requiring cleanup.

1gram of nuclear waste is enough to make a city block unlivable without clean up.

a reply to: dragonridr

One gram of unprocessed nuclear waste. They aren't using straight nuclear waste. They're purifying graphite, and turning it into carbon-14 diamonds that are then coated in a layer of carbon-12 diamond. The carbon-12 coating contains the radioactive material, and shields it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

And then there is a house fire and your neihbors and you are dead in a week, yeah no thanks

I drove a Pinto in High School. NOTHING scares me.




a reply to: dragonridr

a reply to: lakenheath24

Anyithng you can do we can do better!

They had nothing on a Reliant Robin.....maybe not prone to catch fire as much but safety was hardly its greatest attribute.
en.wikipedia.org...

As for these batteries?
I'm all for them provided they meet all necessary safety standards and regulations.

I need one in my phone, like YESTERDAY

Yes, but the Robin had the roll over safety feature. You know, left arm out the window and rock until upright! 😅😅😂🤣

On a serious note, these are probably far more stable than petrol....errr.....gasoline.













a reply to: Freeborn

a reply to: lakenheath24

On a serious note, these are probably far more stable than petrol....errr.....gasoline.

Freudian slip.

You're getting there mate.
Next thing, cigarettes will be fags, you'll be eating chips with everything whilst drinking piss weak tea and wearing trainers.

You have been converted, welcome to the light side.

a reply to: dragonridr

Yes, because a diamond in a house fire is destroyed.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Diamonds will burn at 850 degrees so yes a house fire can get that hot, and if that happens to these diamonds people will die. By the way its suggested diamonds be stored in a fire proof safe because of this exact reason. Want to see what would happen to you look up polonium poisoning

PS my mother had to have several diamonds repaired after a house fire, they actually have to remove the burnt carbon from the diamond

Folks I would not worry to much about the batteries hitting the market anytime soon especially if the energizer bunny rabbit has anything to do with it.

It would be neat to have a battery that would power a device for a hundred or a 1000 years but unless there are several breakthroughs with power output and size requirements I would bet this tech will only appear in some very expensive military tech, if ever.

A personal transportation device whether car or aircraft powered by a battery that never needs charging.... Think of all the companies that would go belly up is short order if these things can be made to produce like we need them to. Still, a neat concept and certainly something I would have never considered possible.

How can you test 28000 years in a couple of months?

Damn you nw country rubbing off!

I still hate tea. Now a pint of Tribute. Well, im off like Andy Capp!


What we need to do is crank up some nuke production and make some batteries like on Voyager. I think its worth it.


a reply to: Freeborn

a reply to: lakenheath24

NASA is doing exactly that at Los alamos. Apparently right now we have enough polonium for a couple of batteries but we need to produce more for use in spacecraft. Though the real breakthroughs are in mini reactors trying to make them smaller and lighter.

www.nasa.gov...

a reply to: 727Sky

A longer lasting battery would be a true game changer.