Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Non-Tech : The New Iomega '2000' Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: eric larson who wrote (2189)	8/13/1999 12:34:00 AM
From: eric larson	Respond to of 5023

New ‘Iron' Battery Lasts 50% Longer...Israeli researcher say it's cleaner than alkaline types, too msnbc.com ... “SUPER-IRON, COMPARED to conventional alkaline batteries, have over 50 percent energy advantage, and in the important high-drain region provide a 200 percent higher energy capacity increase,” said lead researcher Stuart Licht of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Licht defined a “high-drain rate” as the rapid use of the electrical energy stored in the battery such as in cameras, portable CD players and cellular phones. “For example, a conventional AAA size alkaline battery may last only a few minutes at high drain rate, but under the same conditions an AAA super-iron battery discharges for well over an hour,” added Licht. Licht's team said its patented batteries offer the first big change in battery technology since alkaline batteries were invented in 1860. Licht said he was looking for a battery that lasted longer and worked better than standard batteries. “I enjoy today's high-tech gadgets as much as anyone, yet they are wasteful of batteries,” he said in an e-mail interview. “I was specifically searching for materials to cut down on this wasteful disposal, compatible with existing battery systems, and which are environmentally 'clean' materials.” He said no one had tried to use iron in a battery for generations because it rusts so easily. “We found we are able to stabilize them in the caustic solution commonly used in today's primary and metal hydride batteries,” Licht said. “The caustic solutions not only stop the super-iron from decomposing, but are basically the same as that used in alkaline batteries and therefore excellent for electrical energy storage.” Licht said about 60 trillion primary batteries are used each year. Both dry and alkaline batteries use manganese dioxide and zinc. “The new super-iron battery replaces the heaviest portion of these batteries (which is the manganese dioxide) with a very unusual material, super-iron, which has a much higher electrical energy storage,” Licht said. “These batteries appear to be suitable replacements for all alkaline batteries. The super-iron battery is rechargeable, and is a suitable replacement for rechargeables such as Ni-Cds (nickel-cadmium batteries).” ... The batteries, which use either potassium ferrate or barium ferrate cathodes, release no toxic chemicals into the environment, unlike alkaline batteries, Licht said. “The super-iron cathode eventually turns into environmentally “green” iron rust, which is preferable over the often poisonous compounds, varying from mercury, cadmium, manganese and nickel oxides that remain in many of the batteries presently used,” he said.