TECH

Lithium batteries almost ready to print

Battery for 3D printing
Most lithium batteries on the market come in cylindrical or rectangular shapes.So when a manufacturer is designing a product - such as a cell phone - it is necessary to dedicate a certain size and shape to the battery, which does not always allow space optimization or design freedom that designers enjoy.The good news is that a method is being developed to print lithium-ion batteries in 3D, allowing them to have virtually any format.Theoretically, 3D printing technologies can manufacture an entire device, including battery and structural and electronic components, in virtually any format. In practice, however, polymers used for 3D printing, such as poly-lactic acid (PLA), are not ionic conductors, creating a major obstacle for the printing of batteries.Christopher Reyes and colleagues at Duke University in the US have now developed a process to print full lithium-ion batteries using only a cheap 3D printer.

Electrical and ionic conductivities

Reyes increased the ionic conductivity of the PLA by infusing the polymer with an electrolyte solution. In addition, it increased the electrical conductivity of the battery by incorporating graphene and multiple-walled carbon nanotubes into the anode and cathode, respectively.To demonstrate the potential of the printed battery, the team printed a wristband of LEDs and LCD goggles with integrated lithium-ion batteries - they made both planar and circular, button-type batteries.According to Reyes, keeping the volumetric proportions - the printed battery is very thin - the capacity of its first generation of lithium batteries printed in 3D is about two orders of magnitude lower than that of commercial batteries, which is still very low for wider use.However, he says he already has several ideas for increasing capacity, such as replacing PLA-based materials with printable 3D polymers.


Source:Christopher Reyes, Rita Somogyi, Sibo Niu, Mutya A. Cruz, Feichen Yang, Matthew J. Catenacci, Christopher P. Rhodes, Benjamin J. Wiley