NUCLEAR WASTE RECYCLED INTO DIAMOND BATTERIES WITH 'NEAR-INFINITE POWER'
08/04/2020
Scientists are attempting to transform nuclear waste into batteries that can last for thousands of years.
Next-generation diamond batteries that use energy from radioactive materials have already been developed and tested by researchers at the University of Bristol, who now hope to recycle waste from decommissioned nuclear power plants around the UK.
Carbon-14 isotopes extracted from graphite blocks produced by the plant are infused with wafer-thin diamonds to create the batteries, which researchers say are capable of providing power on a “near-infinite basis”.
Potential applications range from powering hearing aids and pacemakers, to extending the range of spacecraft to distances much further than are currently possible.