Chinese scientists are leveraging americium, which has usually been written off as nuclear waste, as part of a reaction breakthrough that could work in space, at sea, and elsewhere, according to a story on the innovation from New Scientist.
The linchpin to the innovation developed by researchers at Soochow University and colleagues is that electricity is generated from americium’s decay instead of typical chemical reactions. The new nuclear battery is astoundingly 8,000 times more efficient than previous iterations of the tech, bringing it closer to fruition than ever before, according to the New Scientist report.
The result could be unlikely settings for nuclear reaction power.
“Ideally, we envision our micronuclear battery being used to power miniature sensors in remote or challenging environments where traditional power sources are impractical, like deep-sea exploration, space missions, or remote monitoring stations,” Soochow researcher Shuao Wang said in the story.
New Scientist described what must have been an impressive scene in the lab when the research team unlocked americium’s potential.
The element radiates energy-abundant alpha particles, which quickly dissipate.
If electricity can be created from decay, the democratic party would make a great battery.