Phone batteries tend to wear out after only a few years, but the problems don’t end there: the batteries contain heavy metals, which can be damaging to the environment if they are disposed of incorrectly. And yet, figuring out how to dispose of your old phone correctly can be a daunting task. Luckily, researchers in Australia may have just found a way around all of that.
The team of researchers from the RMIT School of Engineering used a nanomaterial called MXene to create a battery that could last up to nine years. ScienceDaily reports that this battery could become a viable alternative to the industry standard lithium-ion batteries, which wear out very quickly and are a challenge to recycle.
MXene has high electrical conductivity, similar to graphene, but with even more benefits because of how malleable it is, according to the researchers.
“Unlike graphene, MXenes are highly tailorable and open up a whole range of possible technological applications in the future,” Professor Leslie Yeo, the lead senior researcher on the project, told ScienceDaily. READ MORE...
