Breakthrough: Scientists Invent Wafer-Thin Plastic To Replace Battery

The technology could also lead to flexible computer screens that can be folded up and carried around like a piece of paper. And it could even be used to create ‘electric clothes’ that charge up as a person moves around and which slowly release heat when the weather gets cold.

Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from Imperial College London’s Department of Aeronautics, said the material is not really a battery, but a supercapacitor  -  similar to those found in typical electrical circuits.

His team’s prototype  -  which is around five inches square and wafer-thin  -  takes five seconds to charge from a normal power supply and can light an LED for 20 minutes.

Dr Greenhalgh, who is working with car company Volvo on a three-year, £3million project to use the material in hybrid petrol-electric cars, said: ‘We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof or even the door, thanks to our material.

‘The applications for this material don’t stop there  -  you might have a mobile that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for longer.’

The material charges and discharges electricity quicker than a conventional battery, and does not use chemical processes  -  giving it a longer lifespan, he added.

The scientists plan to use it to replace the metal floor of a Volvo car’s boot which holds the spare wheel.