"Harakiri electronics": battery destroys itself in water
Iowa State University researchers have developed a lithium-ion battery that self-destructs in water within 30 minutes. According to the professor of mechanical engineering, it is the first practical self-destructing energy storage device. This could be interesting for military applications, for example, when it comes to protecting secrets. But volatile electronics also have potential in medicine.
Especially military agencies like the Pentagon's research arm. DARPA have an interest in electronics that can destroy secrets by drastic measures in an emergency. That is why, for example, there are already self-destructing chips. So-called "hara-kiri electronics" are supposed to offer power and yet be volatile. "A device without an ephemeral power source is not really ephemeral," points out Professor Montazami of Iowa State University.
A battery in the water
The lithium-ion battery, which is a few millimeters in size, has an operating voltage of 2.5 volts and enough capacity to power a larger calculator for 15 minutes. "This is a battery with all the working parts. It's much more complex than our previous work on volatile electronics," Montazami says. Once this battery is thrown into water, its polymer case swells until the electrodes break apart Now the battery dissolves. It doesn't disappear completely into the water," the researcher emphasizes - but only nanoparticles of a high-tech battery would remain in the water.
Volatile implants
Volatile electronics, which disappear completely or largely residue-free under certain conditions, is not only interesting for keeping military secrets. Applications in environmental monitoring or medicine could also be further developed. Here, Iowa State University refers specifically to implants that can normally be removed after some time. If such implants simply dissolve, patients could be spared unnecessary operations and the associated pain and risks.
