The answer to your question ‘are paper batteries real or hype’ depends on what’s in your mind. They exist yes, and a few small companies are marketing them. However, if you are wondering if paper batteries could replace traditional lithium-ion batteries, then the answer is ‘not at this stage’.
Do Paper Batteries Really Work in Practice?
The batteries that we use to power energy storage and smartphones, have two major components. These are (a) the chemically active materials and (b) the structural materials that keep the active materials in the right places.
Paper batteries contain chemically active materials, and cellulose paper to keep these in their place, and provide mechanical strength too. This arrangement has several advantages, including cost, weight, and flexibility:
- The paper forms the structure for the electrode materials, that coat it or soak into it.
- An electrolyte allows ions from the active electrode materials to exchange through it.
So yes, paper batteries are real and not hype. They work the same way as regular batteries do. The only difference is they use paper to form the basis of their electrodes. So why bother with them at this point in battery evolution?
Some Reasons to Consider Paper Batteries
Paper batteries are not hype, in fact they have some real advantages. Paper is very thin and lightweight. This means it could help us have smaller batteries with the same energy. Paper can also flex, bend and fold. This makes the technology something to consider for medical sensors and clothing.
Paper is also a low cost, abundant item, that can be non-toxic and biodegradable. However, we are not in a perfect world. We can’t use paper batteries containing lithium, because this is a highly reactive combination and paper burns too.
But we do see other paper battery chemistries coming on the market, where the material acts as the frame, the separator, and an electrolyte sponge all in one. So we’ll continue to watch this evolving space, as innovative people stretch the boundaries of what is possible.
More Information
Structure and Principles of Paper Batteries
