Summary of J.FLEX, A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY THAT IS FLEXIBLE
Jenax has developed J.Flex, an ultra-thin, flexible lithium-ion battery capable of bending, rolling, and twisting. Unveiled at CES 2020, it powers diverse applications including sports helmets, medical sensor patches, and wearable power banks. Unlike rigid batteries, J.Flex measures as thin as 0.5mm and offers high cycle life. While competitors exist, Jenax claims superior flexibility due to its unique polymer electrolyte and material composition.
Parts used in the J.Flex Project:
- Lithium-ion battery cell
- Cathode made from lithium cobalt oxide
- Anode made from graphite
- Polymer electrolyte
- Membrane separator
- Sensor-lined sports helmet
- Medical sensor patch
- Wearable power banks (belts and bracelets)
A Busan-based company has been developing J.Flex, an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ultra-thin, flexible, and rechargeable for the past few years now. The company used terms like bend, roll, twist, scrunch, fold, flex to describe the battery. EJ Shin, head of strategic planning at Jenax says:
What we’re doing at Jenax is putting batteries into locations where they couldn’t be before.” She goes on “we’re now interacting with machines on a different level from what we did before,
this was demonstrated at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.
The devices unveiled by Jenax includes a sensor-lined sports helmet developed by UK-based firm HP1 Technologies for measuring pressure and force of impact, a medical sensor patch designed in France that can be embedded in clothings, for monitoring a wearer’s heart rate, and wearable power banks in form of belts and bracelets for patients who continuously have to be hooked up to medical devices. Shin says:
You don’t want to carry a big, bulky battery on your body all the time. It’s heavy, uncomfortable, and sticks out from your clothes that’s when you need very thin, flexible batteries.
Nicholas Kotov, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Michigan is of the opinion that such kind of batteries may one day power more than just wearables, He identifies unmanned aerial vehicles as one example. A flexible battery installed in the wings or landing gear of such a device could create more space in the body for other components.
Jenax is not the only company developing flexible batteries. Companies like Panasonic, Samsung, and STMicroelectronics are developing flexible batteries of their own. But Jenax boasts of having “a higher degree of flexibility” compared with its competitors. To create flexible batteries, companies manipulate the components of a battery cell, which includes the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and membrane separator. According to Shin, the secret to its flexibility lies in
a combination of materials, polymer electrolyte, and the know-how developed over the years.
The J.Flex is made from graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, but its exact composition and architecture remain a secret. Jenax has more than 100 patents protecting its battery technology.
J.Flex can be sized to be as thin as 0.5 millimeters, which will fit suitably for sensors, and as tiny as 20 by 20 millimeters (mm) or as large as 200 by 200 mm. It has an operating voltage between 3 and 4.25 volts. Depending on the size, conventional batteries capacity varies from 10 mAh to 5 Ah, with close to 90 percent of this capacity remaining after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles. Each charge typically takes an hour. However, J. Flex’s battery life depends on how it’s used. According to Shin, a single charge can last for a month in a sensor, but wouldn’t last that long if the battery was powering a display.
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- How thin can the J.Flex battery be?
The J.Flex can be sized to be as thin as 0.5 millimeters. - What materials are used to create the J.Flex battery?
It is made from graphite and lithium cobalt oxide combined with a polymer electrolyte. - Can the J.Flex battery be bent or rolled?
Yes, the battery is designed to bend, roll, twist, scrunch, fold, and flex. - How many charge-discharge cycles does the battery last?
Close to 90 percent of its capacity remains after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles. - What is the operating voltage range of the J.Flex?
It has an operating voltage between 3 and 4.25 volts. - How long does a single charge typically take?
Each charge typically takes an hour. - Which companies are also developing flexible batteries?
Companies like Panasonic, Samsung, and STMicroelectronics are developing their own versions. - What is the potential application for unmanned aerial vehicles?
A flexible battery could be installed in wings or landing gear to create more space for other components.
