We have seen the future of batteries, and they’ll be 3D-printed from the comfort of your own home. That’s right, Harvard researcher Jennifer Lewis is working on inks that can solidify into electronic components. Technically speaking, lithium titanium oxide, deionized water, and ethylene glycol are mixed together with ceramic balls, then the whole thing is spun for 24 hours.” Dvice says that “the balls break up particle clumps and allow the mixture to blend evenly; after that, the mixture is put into a custom-made syringe, which, guided by the 3D printer, can create incredibly intricate patterns of the mixture. Once outside of the syringe, it again solidifies. Slowly but surely, this solidified ‘ink’ builds a battery’s cathode.” Continue reading for a video and more information.
Here’s a bit more information on these batteries: “Using one syringe, a 3D printer can make a battery in a number of minutes. Most printers could conceivably use hundreds of these nozzles. You do the math. It’s fairly amazing. At present, Lewis’s group has eight patents for the inks and hopes to commercialize the technology in the next few years.”
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