Gustav Nyström heads the Cellulose and Wood Materials Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and is a lecturer at ETH Zurich.

Gustav Nyström heads the Cellulose and Wood Materials Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and is a lecturer at ETH Zurich.

Biodegradable paper batteries

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“Mr. Nyström, will we soon throw batteries into wastepaper baskets?”

That’s quite possible. Electronic waste is a major problem, and batteries are especially toxic. That’s why we’re researching sustainable materials, inks, and additive manufacturing techniques to print biodegradable paper batteries. To do this, the anode and the cathode are printed with special inks on a small piece of paper that is saturated with salt. The salt dissolves on contact with water. The saltwater solution that is produced serves as an electrolyte and activates the paper battery. Our technology has the potential to replace conventional rechargeable batteries in low-power applications. Areas that could benefit include environmental sensing, logistics monitoring, and healthcare. And our batteries won’t pollute the environment at the end of their service life.

Photo: Markus Mallaun

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