Fabrication and characterization of voltage control in thin flexible battery (TFB) using merbau iron wood (Instia sp.) waste material

In this research, Merbau iron wood (Instia sp.) waste material is used to create a thin flexible battery (TFB) that can be folded and slightly stretched to control the voltage of battery. Cathode material in the TFB was composed of thin copper wire. Anode material was made by thin aluminum foil paper. Battery packaging was fabricated using transparent laminating plastic for the whole TFB. The battery material was treated by burning the used Instia sp. wood to be charcoal and then followed by a fine powder process of it. The manufactured TFB has thin volume of (22.1 x 17.7 x 0.394) x 10-6 m3. Based on voltage measurement of the as fabricated TFB using an ordinary bending method, the voltage can be controlled from 0.0 to ∼0.33 V. Furthermore, the total measured energy using such bending method was ∼1.382 Joule. As a matter of fact, the flexible battery has a capacity 51.5 mAh. This simple prototype of TFB with such garbage material suggests a wide range of applications, particularly in a mobile energy storage device connected to a moving TFB.