Lithium-ion batteries power the modern world, from electric cars to smartphones. But even the best of these batteries wear out within a decade, maxing out after 1,000 recharges. For many uses, that’s not long enough.
Now, researchers have unveiled a promising alternative: a micronuclear battery that could last far longer, potentially for decades. Its creators say it could deliver energy for remote devices, medical implants, and even spacecraft, where replacing batteries is virtually impossible.
Harnessing Nuclear Power in Tiny Batteries
The proposed micronuclear battery is made up of americium, a man-made radioactive element produced during the fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear reactors. It is often considered as a nuclear waste.
To make a nuclear battery, the study authors utilized the power of radioactive decay, a naturally occurring process in which unstable radioisotopes disintegrate into smaller, more stable atoms, releasing energy in the form of radiation.
When americium atoms undergo radioactive decay, this process also results in the emission of alpha particles containing high amounts of energy. However, the alpha particles lose energy quickly as they interact with surrounding matter. To prevent energy loss, the researchers fitted americium inside a polymer.
The energy of the contained alpha particles made the americium glow. Next, they attached this glowing crystal to a photovoltaic cell which converted the glow (light) into electricity. They placed this entire battery setup in a quartz cell.
For over 200 hours, the researchers tested this system. “The device produced a stable supply of electricity at a relatively high energy with unprecedented efficiency — and it only needed minimal amounts of radioactive material to function,” said Shuao Wang, a professor at Soochow University and one of the study’s authors.
A Long Lifespan, With Limits
Where conventional batteries degrade with each recharge cycle, a nuclear battery’s lifespan is tied to the radioactive material’s half-life. Americium, in this case, has a half-life of 7,380 years. You can confidently say that you would never have to recharge a nuclear battery in your entire lifetime.
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That said, this new design isn’t expected to last millennia. The other components, like the polymer and photovoltaic cell, will degrade over time due to radiation exposure. Still, the researchers believe the battery could last for at least several decades—a vast improvement over the ten-year life of lithium-ion batteries.
However, there’s a significant drawback: power output. This micronuclear battery produces far less energy than typical batteries. “You’d need about 40 billion of these batteries to power a 60-watt light bulb,” the researchers admitted.
“Ideally, we envision our micronuclear battery being used to power miniature sensors in remote or challenging environments where traditional power sources are impractical, like deep-sea exploration, space missions or remote monitoring stations,” Wang added in an interview with New Scientist.
Nevertheless, this is just a proof of concept. As scientists refine the technology, they hope to increase energy output and address safety concerns tied to nuclear materials.
The study is published in the journal Nature.