The potential applications of this new flexible battery on smart clothing, sportswear, or high-tech military gear are expected to be significant in the future.
As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to rapidly expand and pave the way for numerous advanced technological applications, manufacturers face a new challenge: the limitations of battery size and quality when integrating them into devices. For some time, researchers have been attempting to address this issue by developing a battery that can be directly printed onto fabric.
Nazmul Karim, co-author of the study at the University of Manchester, UK, and his colleagues have been working on developing a new battery technology that can be printed on any type of fabric.
Typically, supercapacitors are used to power wearable devices when conventional batteries are employed. However, in this research, the team developed a flexible solid-state supercapacitor. These capacitors are printed using graphene ink, which can conduct electricity across the surface of cotton fabric.
Cotton was chosen for this study due to its excellent interaction with graphene ink. This ensures maximum stability of the electrodes throughout the device.
As battery-printing technology on fabrics becomes more widespread, we will soon witness significant changes in wearable devices, high-tech sportswear, and military applications. According to Dr. Karim’s predictions, in the future, doctors may even be able to diagnose and monitor patients using high-tech smart clothing.
The prospects of this technology are well-founded, as the production cost of graphene ink is relatively low. Moreover, these flexible batteries can be easily removed and cleaned.
Inkjet printing is one of the most promising techniques for fabricating these batteries for wearable devices. This method proves superior to traditional manufacturing techniques such as molding or digital methods. At the same time, inkjet printing helps reduce material waste, minimize byproducts, and increase compatibility with a wide range of substrates.
