British scientists have invented a type of battery that will never run out. These diamond batteries are capable of powering devices like pacemakers and satellites for thousands of years.
The new battery is made from lab-grown diamonds, which surround a type of radioactive material called 'carbon-14', UK-based newspaper Telegraph reported. The semiconductor properties of diamond convert radioactivity into electricity. At the same time, the ultra-hard structure of diamond ensures the safety of the battery and does not allow radioactivity to spread outside.
The radioactive substance called carbon-14 is commonly used by archaeologists to determine the age of fossils. Every 5,700 years this material loses only half its radioactivity.
Engineers from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKEAA) and the University of Bristol have jointly developed a prototype diamond battery. At 10mm wide and 0.5mm thick, the battery is roughly the size of a watch battery.
These batteries can be used in satellite and space mission devices, medical devices such as pacemakers and hearing aids. Not only that, in the future it can be an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries used in our various devices.
Fatima Sunny, UKAEA engineer said, 'Diamond battery will revolutionize the battery industry. Lithium-ion battery waste will go away. Diamond batteries will be used in almost everything in the future.'
The carbon-14 used to make these batteries is mainly collected from nuclear power plant waste. As a result the battery is environment friendly and low emission.
Professor Tom Scott, who participated in the project, said, 'This is life-changing technology. Focus will be on increasing its production and capacity within the next decade.'
According to the Telegraph, the discovery of this battery has opened new horizons in the technological development of mankind.
