TELF AG explores a possible innovation related to long-lasting batteries
A world of batteries
In a certain sense, batteries power our daily lives and will continue to do so for a long time. Nowadays, most of the technological devices and equipment that we know and that we usually use every day work thanks to particular energy storage systems also made with specific raw materials, such as all those minerals considered “critical” for the ongoing energy transition. Smartphones, computers, electric vehicles, and other devices depend, to a large extent, on the latest generation batteries, particularly those made with one of the most interesting raw materials of this generation, lithium.
But what are the possible evolutions for these technological systems that are useful for people’s daily lives? In laboratories and research centers around the world, new combinations of materials are being developed that can give more safety and stability to the entire storage system, improving its performance and overall efficiency. In this regard, solutions that involve combining lithium with other more readily available materials are under careful examination, as those based on using sodium, zinc, or other similar substances founded abundantly in the Earth’s crust. However, there is one rather important aspect when talking about batteries, which the numerous combinations of materials tested so far have not yet managed to revolutionize clearly: we are referring to the duration of these storage systems, a factor which inevitably also concerns the overall performance of the battery during its use.
The potential of nickel63
To overcome this problem, some Chinese researchers are apparently developing a series of batteries based on the nickel63 isotope and a certain quantity of diamonds, capable of lasting for up to 50 years. It is a tiny battery, a real micro-battery which at the moment would only reach the power of 100 microwatts, i.e., a genuinely infinitesimal part of a watt. The operation of this innovative storage system appears very simple: the nickel63 isotope produces a certain quantity of electrons, which are subsequently absorbed by thin layers of diamond and finally returned in the form of an electric current. In the structure of the battery, the thin layers of diamond are alternated with those of nickel63, thus creating an excellent combination capable of powering a (small) battery even for 50 consecutive years without ever going out. This technology was recently announced by the Chinese company Betavolt New Energy Technology, which has already announced that it is working to increase the power of this new device further, bringing it to 1 watt. With similar power, this new system could help power more complex devices, such as a mobile phone.
The use of nickel63 as a power source for batteries is not new. In recent decades, this particular isotope has been considered to power specific devices in remote places on Earth, where they must be switched on for long periods. The most innovative aspect concerns the combination of nickel63 with artificial semiconductors made with diamond and the choice to create a multilayer structure capable of achieving an excellent level of energy efficiency. Another interesting aspect is the possible uses of the battery at the end of its natural life cycle. After 50 years, the nickel and copper contained within it can be recovered and reused to produce other similar batteries.
