INDUSTRY NEWS
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Phonak plans on implementing zinc-air batteries in its hearing aids in late 2009.
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Battery maker ReVolt Technology and hearing-aid manufacturer Phonak AG, both of which are based in Stäfa, Switzerland, have signed a collaborative agreement to develop rechargeable zinc-air batteries for hearing aids. The batteries would have a number of advantages over commonly used lithium-ion batteries: They could hold a charge more than twice as long, they avoid lithium-ion batteries’ susceptibility to igniting, and they can be produced at a comparable or lower production cost.
Generally cheaper and more readily available than lithium, zinc is often used in standard nonrechargeable batteries. Nevertheless, developing a rechargeable zinc battery proved difficult. ReVolt Technology’s current zinc-air battery prototype is the product of six years of research and development at SINTEF (Trondheim, Norway), the largest independent research institute in Scandinavia. The technology has been further refined through independent research at the company. Earlier this year, the firm announced that it would invest e10 million in developing the technology.
Researchers have settled on a design that combines standard battery and fuel-cell technology, using zinc oxidation to both produce and store energy. The batteries consist of a negative zinc electrode and a positive electrode made from a porous structure with catalytic properties for the oxygen reaction. An alkaline electrolyte is used to provide high ionic conductivity between the two electrodes.
The companies are planning on bringing the zinc-air battery to market in Phonak’s hearing aids in late 2009. Following that, ReVolt will develop zinc-air batteries for consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptop computers, and digital cameras.
For more information, contact ReVolt Technology AS, Laubisruetistr. 44, CH-8712 Stäfa, Switzerland; phone: +41 44 9287878; e-mail: rm@revolttechnology.com; Internet: www.revolttechnology.com.
