If you own practically any modern electronic item – a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, or a wearable – you will likely need to charge some or all of them today.
Typically, rechargeable batteries have a lifespan of a few years, but a new Australian project could result in batteries that last over a decade.
And this is partially due to sound waves.
RMIT University in Victoria is developing batteries made from nanomaterials dubbed MXene.
It conducts electricity exceptionally well, making it a viable alternative to the lithium-based batteries that are often used today.
However, it is susceptible to rusting in humid environments.
Researchers could have put an anti-rust coating, but doing so would have diminished the effectiveness of MXene.
So they devised an alternative method to prevent rust: sending sound waves through the MXene coating.
By preventing rust, the MXene-based batteries might reportedly last up to nine years.
And this is fantastic news given the growing worry over e-waste.
Huge quantities of recyclable batteries are not recycled.
And it is undesirable for high-tech batteries to wind up in landfills.
Creating batteries that last twice or thrice as long as present batteries prevent batteries from ending up in landfills.
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