Printed battery could power bank cards

MUNICH; Germany — Researchers from Fraunhofer entity for electronic nanosystems (ENAS) have developed a battery produced in a serigraphy printing process. The battery could power bank cards or other slim application carriers.

The battery is based on conventional materials such as zinc for the anode and manganese for the cathode. It generates a voltage of 1.5 Volts and can be connected in series in order to achieve higher voltages, said development team leader professor Reinhard Baumann of the ENAS, based in Chemnitz (Germany).

With a thickness of less than one millimeter and a weight of below 1 gram, the battery could be integrated into bank cards or greeting cards, Baumann suggests. However, there are still challenges regarding the durability: Since anode and cathode material are used up when the battery is used, its lifetime is limited. The battery has been produced in a serigraphy process similar to the one used to print images and writings on t-shirts, Baumann said. It has been developed in cooperation with Menippos GmbH (Chemnitz), a start-up company focusing on interactive game cards. ENAS believes the battery could have reached volume production status by end of the year. "Our goal is now, to bring the price of mass-produced batteries down to the single-digit eurocent range," Baumann said.

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