This New Radioactive Battery Can Keep Your Future Phones Running For 50 Years

In a major breakthrough in battery technology, a Chinese company, Betavolt Technology, has claimed that their new product can produce enough power to run gadgets like mobile phones running for 50 years.

Betavolt has claimed that it has developed a battery that uses 63 nuclear isotopes to generate 100 microwatts and a voltage of 3V of electricity through the process of radioactive decay.

Betavolt

Applications of nuclear batteries

According to the Beijing-based startup, its atomic energy batteries, which measure less than a coin at 15x15x5mm, are currently in the pilot testing stage and will soon be mass-produced for commercial purposes.

Betavolt has listed mobile phones, drones, aerospace equipment, AI, medical equipment, advanced sensors, and micro-robots as devices their nuclear batteries can power.

Not a new technology

It should be noted that nuclear batteries are not a new thing. Currently, they are used for spacecraft, underwater systems, automated scientific stations, and crafts like the Mars rover.

However, they are expensive, large, heavy, and generate a lot of heat, making them unsuitable for consumer electronics.

How they made a tiny battery

Betavolt claims to have overcome these challenges by the company's unique ability to use a semiconductor manufacturing-like process. This enables the radioactive nickel to convert its decay into electricity efficiently.

Betavolt

The semiconductor is made of single-crystal diamond capable of generating a current through the ¦Â particles (electrons) emitted from the radioactive source nickel-63. By placing a 2-micrometre-thick nickel-63 thin film between two diamond semiconductor converters, the decay energy of the radioactive source can be converted into an electrical current, creating an independent modular unit.

Are nuclear batteries safe?

Betavolt says the BV100 will not catch fire or explode in response to punctures or gunshots.

"The atomic energy battery developed by Betavolt is absolutely safe, has no external radiation, and is suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts and cochleas in the human body," the company said.

Betavolt

"Atomic energy batteries are environmentally friendly. After the decay period, the 63 isotopes turn into a stable isotope of copper, which is non-radioactive and does not pose any threat or pollution to the environment," it added.

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