The Chinese company Betavolt announced that it is developing a very small nuclear-powered battery that can replace mobile phone and drone batteries and does not require recharging for 50 years.

The company built a prototype of a very small battery with dimensions of 15 x 15 x 5 mm, it is capable of providing energy with a capacity of 100 microwatts of electricity and a power of 3 volts.

The battery works by converting the energy released by the decay of radioactive isotopes into electricity, through a process discovered in the 20th century. Scientists in the former Soviet Union and America were able to use it in spacecraft and submarines, but these batteries are expensive and bulky.

The Chinese company seeks to overcome the huge size and make small batteries that can be used in consumers’ devices. This creates another challenge, as these radioactive materials cause harm to humans, so the company uses nickel 63 isotopes inside layers of artificial diamonds so that the reaction does not produce any external radiation or harmful substances because the nickel 63 decomposes into copper.

Research centers in China, Europe, and America are working on adapting nuclear energy for use in batteries instead of the common lithium batteries, because this could revolutionize the world of electrical appliances, especially after the spread of electric vehicles and cars, whose long charging period is still an obsession for their users.

This step represents a promising development in battery technology, but it is still too early to say that it can be used safely in user devices and smartphones.