3D printed batteries - Response to comment on today's WAN Show

[MrCupHolder]

Just catching up on the WAN show in which Linus mentions the idea of making better batteries for old phones.

 

On the surface of the idea it seems like a good one. But the questions then become, which model phones are going to be best suited for this? How many do you need to make to get manufacturing cheap enough to make it worthwhile and are you going to be able to sell that number? In order to make them cheap enough do you have to go overseas for manufacturing at which point do you run into issues Louis Rossmann (YouTube link) has faced with his batteries being seized under what he believes to be questionable circumstances? And probably many more questions related to running as business that I've not thought of in order to make a business profitable.

 

However when I was catching upon Slashdot when I came across this article - Researchers 3D Print Custom-Sized Lithium-Ion Batteries

 

Quote

New research published in ACS Applied Energy Materials shows that it's possible to 3D-print lithium-ion batteries into whatever shape you need.

 

There's a link to a video on youtube in which they mention this tech may be useful for mobile phones.

It would also mean that batteries could be made in your local country avoiding Louis Rossmann's issues and I would see this as being a suitable way forward with Linus suggestion on making new batteries for old phones. 

Despite the Youtube video linked in the article saying that a number of phone manufactures would choose to use off the shelf parts meaning there is likely a number of mobile phones out there with the same battery is that still going to be the battery to first aim for when starting out?

If 3D battery printing actually becomes viable it would certainly be a way for to minimise the risk of choosing the wrong battery to start with and ending up with a bunch of stock that can't be sold. To my mind this would seem to be the way forward with such an idea. 

[Jito463]

Considering they could only power a simple LED bracelet for 60 seconds, they have a long ways to go in making these viable as replacements.

Quote

The battery was only able to power the bracelet for about 60 seconds, but the researchers have ideas for how to improve the capacity.

 

[Dabombinable]

1 hour ago, Jito463 said:

Considering they could only power a simple LED bracelet for 60 seconds, they have a long ways to go in making these viable as replacements.

 

All I know is, I'll just stick to my local battery shop if my Sony K750i needs a new battery again. Pretty much $30-$40 spent every 10 years keeps it working perfectly.