We have a significant energy demand. When we need to run anything that cannot be plugged into an outlet, electricity must come from batteries, and the quest for a better battery is underway in laboratories worldwide.
Nuclear waste is radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants that no one wants to keep near their homes or even have transported through their communities. These wastes are extremely toxic and deadly, taking thousands of years to fully decompose; however, the amount of nuclear waste produced is increasing alongside human electricity consumption.
Now, a California-based company, NDB, claims they can solve both of these issues. They assert that they have developed a self-powered battery entirely from radioactive waste with a lifespan of 28,000 years, making it an ideal product for electric cars or your future mobile devices.
Instead of storing energy generated elsewhere, this battery will generate its own charge. It is made from two types of nano-diamonds, making it nearly impervious to damage when used in vehicles or other moving items. Additionally, the company claims that their battery is safe because it emits minimal radiation, posing no harm to the human body.
Container for radioactive waste.
NDB has created a proof of concept and plans to build its first commercial prototype after their laboratories resume operations post-COVID (which will happen soon).
The nuclear waste that NDB intends to use for battery production includes components from reactors that have become radioactive due to exposure to the fuel rods of nuclear power plants.
Although this is not considered high-level nuclear waste — which would be used as fuel — it is still highly toxic, and a nuclear plant generates a significant amount of this waste. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that “the core of a typical moderated graphite reactor” can contain up to 2,000 tons of graphite.
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope found in graphite. It is also the radioactive isotope used by archaeologists for carbon dating. It has a half-life of 5,730 years and eventually decays into nitrogen-14, a neutrino-emitting substance, and a beta-decaying electron, a charge that piqued NDB’s interest as a viable power source.
NDB cleans the graphite and then converts it into ultra-small diamonds. The company claims that by using current technology, they have created tiny carbon-14 diamonds to generate a significant amount of electrical energy. The diamonds also act as semiconductors, absorbing energy and dispersing it through a heat sink.
This battery will generate its own charge, made from two types of nano-diamonds.
The radioactive battery is created through a process known as chemical vapor deposition, widely used to produce synthetic diamonds. Researchers have modified the process to grow radioactive diamonds by using radioactive methane gas containing the radioactive isotope Carbon-14 found on the graphite blocks of irradiated reactors. These diamonds can act as both a radiation source and a semiconductor.
However, since they remain radioactive, NDB encases the “miniature nuclear power plants” in non-radioactive carbon-12 diamonds, which are low-cost. These sparkling protective layers produced in the lab provide a hard diamond shield while containing the radiation from the carbon-14 diamonds.
NDB plans to produce batteries in various popular sizes, including AA, AAA, 18650, and 2170. Each battery will feature multiple layers of stacked diamonds, along with a small circuit board and a supercapacitor to collect, store, and discharge energy. The end result, the company claims, is a battery that will last a very long time.
According to NDB, batteries can last up to 28,000 years when used in low-energy environments, such as satellite sensors. They predict that the battery’s lifespan when used in cars could be 90 years, much longer than any current electric vehicle battery. For consumer devices like phones and tablets, the company estimates that the battery will last around 9 years.
NDB expects to commercialize the low-power version in the next few years, followed by the high-power version in about 5 years. If everything goes as planned, NDB’s technology will represent a significant advancement in providing long-lasting, low-cost energy for electronic devices and vehicles worldwide.
The company stated, “We can start at the nano scale and scale up to power satellites, train locomotives.”
Additionally, the company predicts that their batteries will be priced similarly to existing batteries, including lithium-ion, and could be significantly cheaper once mass production begins.
