With the developement of paper thin battery such as NEC ORB, we are going to look at computers as thin as your favourite magazines or maybe even slimmer! not to mention your how dramatically this paper thin battery can reduce the size of your cellphones!

NEC Corporation announced that it has succeeded in the development of an ultra-thin, flexible, rechargeable battery capable of super-fast (30-second) charging, which can be embedded into smartcards and intelligent paper. The new battery, organic radical battery (ORB), uses a type of plastic called organic radical polymer as its cathode.
Organic radical polymer assumes an electrolyte-permeated gel state, and is the reason why the rechargeable battery is so remarkably flexible and pliant. In addition, the organic radical polymer electrode reaction is extremely fast and the supporting salts migrate through gel state polymer very smoothly. This results in little resistance to the charging reaction and an incredibly fast charging time of less than 30 seconds. Not only is this new battery thin, flexible and rechargeable, but it is also environmentally friendly as unlike conventional rechargeable batteries, it does not contain any harmful heavy metals such as mercury, lead or cadmium.

Key features of the newly developed battery include:
(1) An exceedingly thin structure (300 microns), which will enable it to be embedded into objects such as smartcards and intelligent paper in the future.
(2) A pliant and bendable structure, as flexible plastic is used as the cathode material.
(3) An ultra-fast charging speed of less than 30 seconds.
(4) A high energy density of approximately 1 mWh (mili Watt hour) per cm squared. This means, for example, that if the ORB was used in an active RFID device, it would support up to approximately several tens of thousands of signal transmissions on a single charge.
(5) Environmentally friendly, it does not contain any harmful metals.

NEC anticipates that its new and unique battery will be used extensively in the future to power all kinds of tiny ubiquitous terminals. The interconnection of networks with battery-powered next generation ubiquitous devices will enable all kinds of objects to become terminals, bringing us closer to a ubiquitous networked society by allowing access to the network anytime, anywhere.

NEC will continue to carry out aggressive R&D in this area toward enhanced performance and reliability of thin, flexible rechargeable ORBs.

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SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6764; NASDAQ: SANYY), the world leader in rechargeable batteries, announced a new next-generation nickel metal hydride battery ‘eneloop‘ to be sold from November 14, 2005. This is the first product based on SANYO’s new vision, ‘Think GAIA’.

Main features:

1) ‘Immediately usable’ new rechargeable battery
2) An Environment-friendly product right from the battery to the packaging
3) Comparatively more powerful and longer-lasting than dry cell batteries and superior
low-temperature electrical discharge performance
4) Economically more efficient than dry cell batteries, ‘eneloop’ can be used 1000*3 times
over. Also, no need to worry about memory effect

*3: Battery life based on testing methods established by JIS C8708 2004(4.4) (varies according to conditions of use)

‘eneloop’ is a product that proposes a new lifestyle - one without disposing of batteries. Once charged, it can be used repeatedly, and once used completely, it can be recycled. To promote this kind of new battery lifestyle, SANYO developed a world first*1 rechargeable battery that can be used like a dry cell battery -’immediately after purchase’.

Based on its new vision ‘Think GAIA’, SANYO is simultaneously pursuing solutions for a comfortable living and consideration for the environment and would continue providing ‘Global Energy Solutions’ and ‘LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Solutions’.

Batteries have a property to release the stored energy in small amounts (this phenomenon is called ’self-discharge’). This property is particularly noticeable in rechargeable batteries such as Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries etc. as compared to dry cell batteries, hence disabling rechargeable batteries from becoming batteries that ‘customers can use immediately after purchase’. For this reason, rechargeable batteries couldn’t be used unless charged after purchase and so lagged behind dry cells in convenience. This new product’s main property is that it has introduced great improvements in self-discharge properties (residual ratio after one year of non use is 85%*4, in temperature conditions of 20 degree Celsius according to SANYO research). Through this breakthrough development, SANYO has realized a rechargeable battery that can challenge dry cell batteries in user-friendliness through features such as making possible use immediately after purchase or once charged, its ability to be used anytime.

Unlike conventional battery that will ran out of juice after a period fo time eneloop still retaining 85% of its power even after 1 year in storage. This is by far the most enviromental friendly rechargeable battery in the world so far.

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