Alkaline batteries make a comeback as safer, cheaper Li-ion alternative

After the exploding batteries fiasco of the Galaxy Note 7 last year, the world had seen the dangers of the popular Lithium-ion batteries. A small imperfection could lead to catastrophic results due to the volatile ingredients of the Li-ion batteries. Therefore, researchers took to the drawing board to find a safer as well as cheaper alternative power source and they ended up in a technology from the early 2000’s — alkaline batteries.

Therefore, Bill Joy — a Silicon Valley guru and the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, along with Ionic Materials unveiled a solid-state alkaline battery at an innovation summit in Colorado. He claims that the alkaline battery technology is safer and cheaper to manufacture than its Lithium-ion counterparts. The battery could be used without any worries in areas like aviation, where aeroplanes need a cheaper as well as safer power source.

The alkaline battery technology is being considered suitable for use in consumer electronics like smartphones, laptops, tablets and other electronic gadgets. Also, the battery can find use in the electric cars, where there’s a demand for safer and efficient battery modules. In an interview to Bloomberg, Joy said, “What people didn’t really realize is that alkaline batteries could be made rechargeable. I think people had given up.”