Plastic balls will allow gadgets to work without a battery — as much as possible

Researchers from Brussels, Australia and Hong Kong developed an effective method of generating electric charges.

It is noted that triboelectrification remains rather little known method of energy generation. This method is similar to static electricity, in which energy is generated by the friction of two surfaces against each other. 

Despite the fact that triboelectrification will not be effective in such promising areas as wind, solar, geothermal and other types of renewable energy, due to too small volumes of energy produced, it could be used in a number of medical devices and technologies that are applied to various surfaces. In particular, this method has already been used in the development of sensors for detecting mercury in food, as well as — detecting carbon monoxide or temperature changes in monitoring the threat of forest fires.

The developers even created a special yarn that could transform any fabric based on the principle of triboelectricity into a charging mini-power plant. However, researchers from Belgium, Australia, and Hong Kong have now discovered a new secret to the effectiveness of the triboelectricity effect.

Based on the results of experiments with different materials, the scientists created plastic nanoballs from melamine and formaldehyde and found that mixing these balls of small and large sizes can significantly increase the generation of electricity. The scientists noticed that larger balls usually have a negative charge, while small balls — predominantly positive.

The researchers say they have developed a system they call a triboelectric generator, in which large balls are placed on one side of a thin film layer and small — balls on the other, allowing them to generate more electricity, than usual It should be noted that the output current measured during the experiments was recorded only in nanoamperes, so it is too early to rejoice.

At the same time, the balls interact with each other without the need for physical friction, which allows them to work much longer. Research has shown that such balls can withstand up to 10,000 operating cycles.

The researchers also add that the balls were made without the use of solvents, which significantly reduces the cost of their production. They can also be restored with a special powder.

A breakthrough in the creation of perovskite solar cells — applied to complex surfaces and working 10 times longer

Scientific article published in the journal Small