
Polymer breakthrough reveals unprecedented alternative to battery power storage - autopoiesis
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/scientific-breakthrough-reveals-unprecedented-alternative-battery-power
======
Animats
_" The test results from the new polymers suggest that extremely high energy
density supercapacitors could be constructed in the very new future."_ Not "We
have a demo model working". More on the actual chemistry, from 2017.[1] Seems
they announced this before, in June 2017.

Even if this doesn't turn into a big energy storage thing, maybe they can
replace ordinary electrolytic capacitors. Least reliable component in
electronics.

[1] [https://chemical-materials.elsevier.com/new-materials-
applic...](https://chemical-materials.elsevier.com/new-materials-
applications/ultracapacity-polymeric-supercapacitors-viable-alternatives-
batteries/)

~~~
DennisP
As of 2018 it's tested:

> By using small single layer cells charged to 1.5 volts for two to five
> minutes and then run demonstration devices, including a small fan.

> By using a three-cell series stack that is able to be rapidly charged to
> five volts and operate an LED.

[https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/alternative-...](https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/alternative-
traditional-batteries-moves-step-closer-reality-after-exciting)

(Link first posted here by BugsJustFindMe. Also says "if these values of
capacitance can be achieved in production, it could potentially see
supercapacitors achieving energy densities of up to 180whr/kg - greater than
lithium ion batteries.")

~~~
nimos
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-
ion_battery#Performanc...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-
ion_battery#Performance)

Wikipedia shows 100-250whr/kg for lithium ion. Not familiar enough to know
which is right.

~~~
Karunamon
I think you stumbled on a wiki turd. Citation for the x-250 number is
[https://web.archive.org/web/20111107060525/http://www.panaso...](https://web.archive.org/web/20111107060525/http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/includes/pdf/Panasonic_LiIon_Overview.pdf),
which has the volumetric density in kG/L but not the specific density.

------
BugsJustFindMe
The 2018 version of this is
[https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/alternative-...](https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/alternative-
traditional-batteries-moves-step-closer-reality-after-exciting)

I'm not sure why the 2016 release was posted instead.

~~~
autopoiesis
Honestly, I'm not sure how that happened either. Thanks for posting the new
one!

------
tlb
They claim 4F / cm² between smooth surfaces, which seems impossibly high. Even
if the dielectric is only 5 Å thick, that corresponds to a dielectric constant
of 2.2e6. The highest dielectric constants materials I know of are around 2e4.

~~~
bb88
There are lots of things which are publicized like this but never go anywhere.

------
autopoiesis
More details at [https://www.theengineer.co.uk/supercapacitors-battery-
techno...](https://www.theengineer.co.uk/supercapacitors-battery-
technologies/) \-- hard to find an actual paper, though

------
deepnotderp
Anyone have a link to the actual paper? Some polymers are known to have
extremely high dielectric constants.

------
pbnjay
(2016)

