Development Of A Flexible Printed Battery

A flexible alkaline based battery was fabricated for wearable electronics applications. This alkaline based battery system consists of a zinc-based negative electrode (anode), manganese dioxide (MnO2) and carbon black composite based positive electrode (cathode), and potassium hydroxide (KOH) saturated with zinc oxide (ZnO) as the electrolyte. The battery was fabricated by coating the electrodes (anode and cathode) onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate, to identify the electrical performance expected for the chosen electrochemical system in flexible packaging. The battery’s electrical performance was evaluated by discharging to 0.8 V and charging to 1.1 V. An electric potential of 1.1 V and a capacity of 0.25 mAh was measured for the flexible battery when it was discharged at 0.01C. In addition, the flexible battery's performance was compared with a coin cell model to analyze the efficiency of the flexible design. Future work is focused on improving the cell's electrical performance, substitute PET with a paper solution, and implement screen printing technology.