TDK Invents Tiny, 1,000 Times Rechargeable Solid-State Batteries

Japanese electronic components maker TDK has created a tiny solid-state battery that can be recharged 1,000 times.

Just a few millimeters long, the new battery could eventually find its way into applications at home, office and factory for equipment like lighting and air conditioners.

Unlike lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries have no liquid that can leak so they are safer, and they also have the capacity to hold a far greater charge.

Such batteries would be of great merit to the EV industry in particular as they can charge faster and give cars a greater range too.

Toyota has already stated its plans to have solid-state batteries ready for market during the early 2020s.

Germany’s Volkswagen too has plans to have mass-production in place by around 2025.

But neither of these projects has reached the stage where batteries are ready for shipping, reports the Nikkei Asian Review.

If tiny solid-state batteries from companies like TDK reach the market, their applications could spread throughout society far beyond vehicles, making their way into computers, smartphones and other devices.

Apart from TDK, other Japanese companies like Taiyo Yuden are aiming to have a larger battery measuring several centimeters on a side ready by around 2020 for products like smartwatches.

Electronic components maker Murata Manufacturing is also developing an ultra-thin 50-micron version for wearable devices like smart contact lenses, while Hitachi Zosen intends to promote solid-state applications in the aerospace sector by 2019.

As more and more devices become networked under the IoT framework, there is an increasing demand for batteries that can be miniaturized and prolong the working life of sensors.

Solid-state batteries could play an essential, if backstage, role in the data economy of the future. market researcher Fuji Keizai forecasts.

It predicts that the solid-state battery market will take off around 2030 and grow to be worth some $24.67 billion in 2035. It was worth a mere $18.6 million in 2017.