InnovationLab has announced it has acquired Evonik’s TAeTTOOz printable battery technology. The companies have been close partners in this field for many years and have jointly driven the technological development of TAeTTOOz to the present threshold of industrial-scale production.
It is the first technology of its kind that enables flexible, rechargeable solid-state batteries to be printed at industrial scale, they claim. The ultra-thin, printed batteries are more flexible, safer and more environmentally friendly than traditional metal-based batteries, they say. Typical applications are set to include low-cost IoT sensor labels for packaging and stock management, wireless industrial sensor technologies, and self-powered signage solutions.
Evonik unveiled TAeTTOOz, a material technology for printable batteries, at the LOPEC trade show in 2019. It has been developed on the basis of what are known as redox polymers. It can be processed by conventional printing methods into very thin, flexible battery cells, giving the developer a high degree of design freedom.
They allow the storage of electrical energy without the need for metals or metal compounds. Battery cells produced with the technology do not require liquid electrolytes and therefore cannot leak.
“We are very excited to now be offering our customers printed, polymer-based, rechargeable batteries as the next game-changing component in the field of printed electronics,” said Dr. Janusz Schinke, head of printed electronics at InnovationLab.
“Our material and printing experts have worked closely with Evonik on developing this technology for several years. And with Heidelberg Printed Electronics as our manufacturing partner, we are now looking forward to bringing printed rechargeable batteries into mass production.”
“This industrialization phase will see Evonik providing TAeTTOOz technology to our long-term partner InnovationLab,” added Dr. Michael Korrell, head of new growth area energy storage at Evonik. “Its strong industry position and ‘one-stop shop’ philosophy, combined with TAeTTOOz and printed electronics capability, will enable it to offer an impressive array of unique, customized solutions.”
The TAeTTOOz technology opens up new possibilities, particularly in the spreading networking of everyday objects, the Internet of Things. For example, in the area of logistics, intelligent sensors operated by printed batteries in packaging could monitor sensitive goods such as food or vaccines.
It can also be used with energy harvesting components to create self-powered signage, packaging and other innovative devices and has already been successfully applied in conjunction with printed organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells.
This article was created in collaboration with AIPIA (the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association). Packaging Europe and AIPIA are joining forces to bring news and commentary about the active and intelligent packaging landscape to a larger audience. To learn more about this partnership, click here.
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