Cellulose Paper

+ ___________________________
Nano-technology

?
An Overview of the battery technology that
powers our mobile society.

INTRODUCTION

The creation of the paper battery drew from a

diverse pool of
disciplanes, requiring expertise in materials science,
energy
storage and chemistry.

In august 2007, a research team at Rensselear

polytechnic
Institute led by Drs. Robert Linhardt, the Ann and John
H.Broad
Bent, senior constellation professors of bio catalysis and
Metabolic engineering at Rensselaer, the Pulickel M.Ajayan,
Professor of materials science and engineering AND
Omkaram
Nalamasu, professor of chemistry with a joint appointment

Battery Chemistry
Electrochemical reaction - a chemical
reaction between elements which creates
electrons.
Oxidation occurs on the metals
(electrodes), which creates the electrons.
Electrons are transferred down the pile via
the saltwater paper (the electrolyte).
A charge is introduced at one pole, which
builds as it moves down the pile.

Recharge-ability &
the memory effect
Recharge-ability: basically, when the
direction of electron discharge (negative
to positive) is reversed, restoring power.
The Memory Effect:
Effect (generally) When a
battery is repeatedly recharged before it
has discharged more than half of its
power, it will forget its original power
capacity.
Cadmium crystals are the culprit! (NiCd)

Lithium (Ion) Battery

Development
In the 1970s, Lithium metal was used
but its instability rendered it unsafe and
impractical. Lithium-cobalt oxide and
graphite are now used as the lithiumIon-moving electrodes.
The Lithium-Ion battery has a slightly
lower energy density than Lithium
metal, but is much safer. Introduced by
Sony in 1991.

Advantages of Using
Li-Ion Batteries
POWER High energy density means greater
power in a smaller package.
160% greater than NiMH
220% greater than NiCd
HIGHER VOLTAGE a strong current allows it
to power complex mechanical devices.
LONG SHELF-LIFE only 5% discharge loss
per month.

10% for NiMH, 20% for NiCd

Disadvantages of LiIonNiCd.
EXPENSIVE -- 40% more than
DELICATE -- battery temp must be
monitored from within (which raises the
price), and sealed particularly well.
REGULATIONS -- when shipping Li-Ion
batteries in bulk (which also raises the
price).
Class 9 miscellaneous hazardous
material
UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (III,
38.3)

Environmental Impact
of Li-Ion Batteries
Rechargeable batteries are often
recyclable.
Oxidized Lithium is non-toxic, and can
be extracted from the battery,
neutralized, and used as feedstock for
new Li-Ion batteries.

The Intersection
In terms of weight and size, batteries have
become one of the limiting factors in the
development of electronic devices.
The problem with...lithium batteries is that none
of the existing electrode materials alone can
deliver all the required performance
characteristics including high capacity, higher
operating voltage, and long cycle life.
Consequently, the other way is to optimize
available electrode materials by designing new
composite structures on the nanoscale.

Nano-Science and
-Technology
The attempt to manufacture and control
objects at the atomic and molecular
level (i.e. 100 nanometers or smaller).
1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter
(10-9)
1 nanometer : 1 meter :: 1 marble :
Earth
1 sheet of paper = 100,000 nanometers

Nano + Li-Ion = ?
Nanotechnology and Li-Ion applications
in the commercial sector are apparent...
lighter, more powerful batteries
increase user mobility and equipment
life.
DeWalt 36volt cordless power tools
Nanotechnology & Li-Ion applications in
the residential sector are not so
obvious...
Micro-generated energy storage?

Micro-Generated
Energy Storage
Li-Ion batteries high energy density
allows batteries them to power complex
machinery.
Li-Ion batteries recharge quickly and
hold their charge longer, which provides
flexibility to the micro-generator.
particularly helpful for wind and solar
generators!
Lightness, and power per volume allow
for storage and design flexibility.

What is Nanocomposite
paper

It is a hybrid energy storage

device that combines characteristics
of batteries and super capacitors.
It takes the high energy storage
capacity of the battery and the high
energy density of the super capacitor
which producing bursts of extreme

Materials and Description

This energy storage device is based on two basic,
inexpensive materials: carbon nanotubes and
cellulose. Also an ionic liquid provides the third
component: electrolyte. Engineered together, they
form nanocomposite paper. It is as thin and flexible
as a piece of paperit can be twisted, folded, rolled
and cut to fit any space without losing any of its
energy. The paper battery can also be stacked to
boost the total power output.

How it is made
To create this paper we have to first
dissolve the cellulose in the ionic liquid and
then infiltrate the cellulose paper with
aligned carbon nanotubes which form the
uniform film.

Then it is solidified on dry ice, after

this it is soaked in ethonal to remove the
ionic liquid and dried in a vacume, which
gives us our final product: Nanocomposite
paper.

BLOCK D IAGRAM

Paper battery:
A paper battery is a flexible, ultra-thin energy storage
and production device formed by combining carbon
nanotube s with a conventional sheet of cellulosebased paper.
A paper battery acts as both a high-energy battery and
super capacitor , combining two components that are
separate in traditional electronics .
This combination allows the battery to provide both
long-term, steady power production and bursts of
energy. Non-toxic, flexible paper batteries have the
potential to power the next generation of electronics,
medical devices and hybrid vehicles, allowing for
radical new designs and medical technologies.

WHAT IS A CARBON NANOTUBE?

A carbon nanotube is a tube-shaped material, made

of carbon, having a diameter measuring on the
nanometer scale.

A nanometer is one billionth of the meter or about

one ten-thousandth the thickness of the human hair.

The graphite layer appears somewhat like a rolledup chicken wire with a continuous unbroken
hexagonal mesh and carbon molecules at the
apexes of the hexagons.

Carbon Nanotubes have many structures, differing

in length, thickness, and in the type of helicity and
number of layers.

Although they are formed from essentially the same

graphite sheet, their electrical characteristics differ
depending on these variations, acting either as
metals or as semiconductors.

As a group, Carbon Nanotubes typically have

diameters ranging from <1 nm up to 50 nm.
Their lengths are typically several microns, but
recent advancements have made the
nanotubes much longer, and measured in
centimeters.

. They are among the stiffest and strongest

fibers known, and have remarkable electronic
properties and many other unique
characteristics.

Carbon Nanotubes can be categorized by their

structures:

Single-wall Nanotubes (SWNT)

Multi-wall Nanotubes (MWNT)

Double-wall Nanotubes (DWNT)

How Does Nanocyl Produce Carbon

Nanotubes?

Nanocyl uses the "Catalytic Carbon

Vapour Deposition" method for
producing Carbon Nanotube
Technologies.

It involves growing nanotubes on

substrates, thus enabling uniform, largescale production of the highest-quality
carbon nanotubes worldwide.

This proven industrial process is well

known for its reliability and scalability.

What are the Properties of a

Carbon Nanotube?

The intrinsic mechanical and transport properties of

Carbon Nanotubes make them the ultimate carbon fibers.

The following tables compare these properties to other

engineering materials. Mechanical properties of
engineering fibers are:

Fiber
material

Specific
density

Energy

Strength

Strain at
break(%)

Carbon
nanotube

1.3 to 2

10 to 60

10

Carbon
fiber-PAN

1.7 to 2

0.2 to 0.6

1.7 to 5

0.3 to2.4

Carbon
fiberPITCH

2 to 2.2

0.4 to
0.96

2.2 to 3.3

0.27 to
0.6

Glass

2.5

0.07/0.08

2.4/4.5

4.8

Kelvar*49

1.4

0.13

3.6 to 4.1

2.8

 Transport properties of conductive materials

are:
Material

Thermal
conductivity
(w/mk)

Electrical
conductivity

Carbon nanotube

>3000

106 to 107

Copper

400

6*107

Carbon fiberPITCH

1000

2 to 8.5*106

Carbon fiber-PAN

8 to 105

6.5 to 14*106

Overall, Carbon Nanotubes show a unique combination of

stiffness, strength, and tenacity compared to other fiber
materials which usually lack one or more of these
properties.

Thermal and electrical conductivity are also very high,

and comparable to other conductive materials.

At Stanford, nanotubes + ink +

paper = instant battery
Dip an ordinary piece of paper into ink infused with
carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires, and it turns
into a battery or super capacitor. Crumple the piece of
paper, and it still works. This is new way of storing
electricity.
Paper battery is the one that holds promise for new
types of lightweight, high-performance energy
storage.
ordinary paper could one day be used as a
lightweight battery to power the devices that are now
enabling the printed world to be eclipsed by e-mail, ebooks and online news.

How a paper battery works?

While a conventional battery contains a number of

separate components, the paper battery integrates all of
the battery components in a single structure, making it
more energy
efficient, Integrated devices.
"The warm up time, power loss, component malfunction;
you don't get those problems with integrated devices.
When you transfer power from one component to another
you lose energy. But you lose less energy in an integrated
device."

You can implant a piece of paper in the body and

blood would serve as an electrolyte.
The battery contains carbon nanotubes, each about one
millionth of a centimeter thick, which act as an electrode.
The nanotubes are embedded in a sheet of paper soaked
in ionic liquid electrolytes, which conduct the electricity.

 Electricity is the flow of electrical power or

electrons
Batteries produce electrons through a chemical
reaction between electrolyte and metal in the
traditional battery.

Chemical reaction in the paper battery is between

electrolyte and carbon nanotubes.

Electrons collect on the negative terminal of the

battery and flow along a connected wire to the
positive terminal.

Electrons must flow from the negative to the

 The flexible battery can function even if it is

rolled up, folded or cut.
Although the power output is currently modest,
increasing the output is easy.
"If we stack 500 sheets together in a ream,
that's 500 times the voltage. If we rip the paper
in half we cut power by 50%. So we can control
the power and voltage issue."
Because the battery consists mainly of paper
and carbon, it could be used to power
pacemakers within the body where conventional
batteries pose a toxic threat.
We wouldn't want the ionic liquid electrolytes
in our body, but it works without them that is we
can implant a piece of paper in the body and
blood would serve as an electrolyte."

EXAMPLE:

Let us take an example how the ionic liquid is used as an

electrolyte for the paper batteries.

As the ionic liquid does not contain any water, there will be
nothing to evaporate and the use of ionic liquid in making paper
batteries makes the battery to withstand at extreme
temperatures.

Let us see how the sulphuric acid acts as an electrolyte by

studying its properties.

Sulphuric acid or sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the

molecular formula H2SO4. Its historical name is vitriol.

It is soluble in water at all concentrations. It has many

applications and is a basic substance in the chemical industry.

Polarity and conductivity of H2SO4:

H2SO4 is a very polar liquid, having a dielectric constant of

around 100.

It has a high electrical conductivity caused by dissociation

through protonating itself, a process known as autopyrolysis.

Physical properties:
Mass
fraction
H2SO4(%)

Density kg/L

Concentratio
n mol/L

Common
name

10

1.07

~1

Dilute
H2SO4

29 to 32

1.25 to 1.28

4.2 to 5

Battery acid
used in lead
acid
batteries

62 to 70

1.52 to 1.60

9.6 to 11.5

Chamber
acid
Fertilizer
acid

78 to 80

1.70 to 1.73

13.5 to 14

Tower acid
Glover acid

95 to 98

1.83

~18

Conc. H2SO4

Chemical properties:

Reaction with water:

The hydration reaction of sulfuric acid is highly

exothermic.

One should always add the acid to the water rather than
the water to the acid. Because the reaction is in an
equilibrium that favors the rapid protonation of water,
addition of acid to the water ensures that the acid is the
limiting reagent.

This reaction is best thought of as the formation of

hydronium ions:

H2SO4 + H2O H3O+ + HSO4

HSO4 + H2O H3O+ + SO42

Because the hydration of sulfuric acid is

thermodynamically favorable, sulfuric acid is an
excellent dehydrating agent.

Reaction with others:

Concentrated sulfuric acid reacts with sodium chloride, and

gives hydrogen chloride gas and sodium bisulfate:
NaCl + H2SO4 NaHSO4 + HCl

Dilute H2SO4 attacks iron, aluminium, zinc, manganese,

magnesium and nickel, but reactions with tin and copper require
the acid to be hot and concentrated.

Lead and tungsten, however, are resistant to sulfuric acid.

The reaction with iron shown below is typical for most of these
metals, but the reaction with tin produces sulfur dioxide rather
than hydrogen.

Fe (s) + H2SO4 (aq) H2 (g) + FeSO4 (aq)

Sn (s) + 2 H2SO4 (aq) SnSO4 (aq) + 2 H2O (l) + SO2 (g)

These reactions may be taken as typical: the hot concentrated

acid generally acts as an oxidizing agent whereas the dilute acid
acts a typical acid.

Hence hot concentrated acid reacts with tin, zinc and copper to
produce the salt, water and sulfur dioxide, whereas the dilute
acid reacts with metals high in the reactivity series to produce a
salt and hydrogen.

Concentrated sulfuric acid has a very strong affinity for water. It

is sometimes used as a drying agent and can be used to
dehydrate (chemically remove water from) many compounds,
e.g., carbohydrates.

When the concentrated acid mixes with water, large amounts

of heat are released.

Dilute sulfuric acid is a strong acid and a good electrolyte; it is

highly ionized, much of the heat released in dilution coming
from hydration of the hydrogen ions.

The dilute acid has most of the properties of common strong

acids. It turns blue litmus red.

It reacts with many metals (e.g., with zinc), releasing hydrogen

gas, H2, and forming the sulfate of the metal.

It reacts with most hydroxides and oxides, with some

carbonates and sulfides, and with some salts. Since it is dibasic
(i.e., it has two replaceable hydrogen atoms in each molecule).

The Fe3+ produced can be precipitated as the hydroxide or

hydrous oxide:

Fe3+ (aq) + 3 H2O Fe(OH)3 (s) + 3 H+

Summary:

In case of the lead-acid batteries, the RAYON serves as

an electrolyte. But the rayon is made with sulphuric
acid. It contains 33% of H2SO4 and with specific gravity
1.25, and is commonly called battery acid.

As the sulphuric acid is a strong acid and a good

electrolyte, it acts a one of the electrolytes in the
manufacture of the paper batteries.

Due to its better properties that is physical and

chemical properties and the reactions with water and
with other reagents, keeping all this in consideration,
the sulphuric acid is used as one of electrolytes of the
paper battery.

Thus in case of other ionic liquid also, we must consider

all these properties, to make it use for the purpose of
making paper batteries

uses
The paper battery combined with the structure of the
nanotubes embedded within gives them their light weight
and low cost, making them attractive for portable
electronics, aircraft, automobiles and toys (such as model
aircraft), medical devices such as pacemakers.
The medical uses are particularly attractive because they
do not contain any toxic materials and can be
biodegradable, a major drawback of chemical cells.

However, there is a caution that commercial applications

may be a long way away, because nanotubes are still
relatively expensive
to fabricate. Currently, they are making devices a few
inches in size.
In order to be commercially viable, they would like to be
able to make them newspaper size, a size which taken all

Applications

smetic path: paper battery is set in iontophoresis patch for whiteni

and wrinkles.

Medical path: paper battery is set in iontophoresis patch. It helps to

deliver functional drug i.e., local anesthesia, antichloristic,
anodyne, etc.. Into skin.

FID tag: paper battery is useful to use as a power source of active

RFID tag.

unctional card: paper battery is possible to use as a power source o

melody and display card.

Micro processor; paper battery supply power to micro processor.

Paper battery offers future power

The black piece of paper can power a small light.
Flexible paper batteries could meet the energy
demands of
the next generation of gadgets.
The ambition is to produce reams of paper that could
one day power a car.
The paper battery was a glimpse into the future of
power storage.
The versatile paper, which stores energy like a
conventional battery, can also double as a capacitor
capable of releasing sudden energy Bursts for highpower applications.

CONCLUSION
This energy storage device is cost-effective
because the device can be able to be used in the
smallest and most diversly designed electronics.
Such as cell phones, mp3 players and medical
equipment.
The reasearchers say that it can also be used
in automobiles and aircraft. But it has a poor
processibility, being that it is particularly
insoluble of infuseble. Lastly, the use of ionic
liquid makes the device environmentally
friendly; a major concern in nanotechnology.

Finally, an interesting
idea...
Background:
battery research results in annual
capacity gains of approximately 6%
Moores Law: The number of transistors
on a computer microchip will double
every two years. (40 years of proof!)
Idea: If battery technology had developed
at the same rate, a heavy duty car
battery would be the size of a penny.

Links to References
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm
http://everything2.com/e2node/Lithium%2520ion
%2520battery
http://www.batteryuniversity.com
http://newsservice.stanford.edu/news/2008/january9/nanowire010908.html
http://www.nano.gov/html/research/industry.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller
http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=5210.php