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Many people might think of plasticine as just a toy for kids, but researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Burns School of Engineering are taking it seriously. In fact, they’ve found a surprising way to use it—by incorporating a specific component from plasticine into lithium-ion batteries to dramatically improve their performance.
According to recent reports, scientists have successfully used an ingredient found in plasticine to boost the battery life of lithium-ion batteries by more than three times compared to current industry standards. This breakthrough could have big implications for future devices like smartphones, laptops, and even electric vehicles.
UCR Today, a campus publication, highlighted that this new approach not only extends battery life significantly but also opens up possibilities for broader applications in consumer electronics. The research team is now working on scaling up the technology for mass production and commercial use.
"We’re using materials from children's toys, medical equipment, and even fast food to develop next-generation battery technologies," said Zachary Favors, the lead researcher on the project. He emphasized that the key material in plasticine—silicon dioxide—is both safe and environmentally friendly, making it a promising candidate for battery innovation.
Silicon dioxide has been explored before in lithium-ion batteries, but its effectiveness wasn’t widely recognized until now. The UCR team took a different approach by using the material in a nanotube form, which allows for better energy storage and stability. This format ensures that the battery can be charged and discharged over 100 times without significant degradation in performance.
This development comes after similar research was conducted by Stanford University in 2012, where scientists also experimented with nanotube-based lithium-ion batteries. However, that discovery never reached the commercial stage. Now, with the latest advancements, the UC Riverside team is one step closer to bringing this technology to market.
As battery technology continues to evolve, innovations like these show how everyday materials can play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy storage. Whether it's through plasticine or other unconventional sources, the path to smarter, longer-lasting batteries is becoming clearer every day.
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