VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers at the Iowa State University (ISU), the United States, have developed a battery that self-destructs and dissolves in just 30 minutes when submerged in water. This dissolvable battery could help save the planet by reducing waste caused by discarded electronics. According to the researchers, unlike conventional electronics that are designed to last for extensive periods of time, a key and unique attribute of transient electronics is to operate over a well-defined period, undergo fast, complete self-deconstruction and vanish when transiency is triggered.

The battery measures 5 mm long, 6 mm wide and 1 mm thick, and is similar to commercial batteries in terms of components, structure and electrochemical reactions. It is composed of eight layers, which include the anode, cathode and electrode, and is wrapped in a polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer. Once dropped into the water, the battery’s polymer casing swells and the electrodes break apart, thus causing it to dissolve. However, the batteries contain nanoparticles, which dissolves but does not completely disappear. The dissolving process could take about half an hour.

Scientists are exploring dissolvable batteries in an effort to reduce electronics waste. A team of researchers from the University of Illinois, the United States, is also developing electronic circuit boards that could be dissolved in water. According to the scientists, the circuit boards will break down within three to six months at the landfill site. The research has been published in the Journal of Polymer Science.