A research team of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has developed a fabric lithium-ion battery, capable of maintaining 100% performance after 1,000 times of folding, especially suitable for application in wearables.
The product is another major breakthrough in the rush for the development of pliable lithium-ion battery, for application in wearables, which have become increasingly popular. Inspired by the structure of human spine, Columbia University previously unveiled a pliable lithium-ion battery with energy density reaching 242 Wh/L.
The research team of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University deposits high-conductive copper and nickel on fabric evenly via propriety PAMD (polymer-assisted metal deposition) method, giving the fabric high conductivity, before the addition of active material to electrode, isolation film, and electrolyte. The result is a fabric lithium-ion battery.
With a high energy density of 450 Wh/L, the new battery is foldable, shrinking the diameter to less than 1 mm, and can maintain 100% performance after 1,000 times of folding, compared with corresponding figures of 25 mm and 200 Wh/L of existing pliable lithium-ion battery.
The battery boasts high endurance, as tests show that the battery's voltage and performance remains intact, following repeated folding, twisting, kneading, cutting, and piercing, free from the danger of fire of explosion, assuring the safety of its application in wearables.
Pro. Zheng Zijian, project leader, pointed to the great potential of the brand new battery, saying it is suited to application in wearables for the fields of medical care, communications and entertainment, sports, aeronautics, apparel, IoT, and sensor.
(Collaborative media: TechNews, first photo courtesy of Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
