Diamonds, the future of sustainable energy.
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Diamonds have always been the center of attention for many thousands of years. They are unique and beautiful. They have a value and price due to the time it takes for them to be created. But what if those man-made would be more valuable? What if scientists would be able to turn nuclear waste into Diamond-Batteries? And, what if those Diamond-Batteries would able to provide energy for thousands of years? That is what a group of scientists discovered during an experiment at the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute.
The following video explains in a more detailed way why diamond-batteries work and how they function.
As presented in the previous video, nuclear energy is definitely not the most sustainable way to produce energy. Thus, discovering a circular supply chain in this process could allow reducing waste. As professor Tom Scott from Bristol’s Cabot Institute mentions “we turn a long-term problem of nuclear waste into a nuclear-powered battery and a long-term supply of clean energy” (Forbes, 2016). The best part of these Diamond-Batteries is that “only a tiny amount of radiation can be detected” and “they would only reach 50% power in the year 7746” (“Diamond-age” of power generation as nuclear batteries developed, 2016).
Although these new batteries seam the future of humanity, they cannot provide a large amount of energy. “A diamond beta-battery containing 1 gram of C14 will deliver 15 Joules per day” (Sciencealert.com, 2016). Well, if these diamond batteries do not provide a large amount of energy, why would we use them? The answer is we would use them for daily use replacing normal batteries in technology devices or machines. In my class of Sustainability Marketing, we mentioned previously how dangerous and non-sustainable normal batteries are. Batteries are composed of lithium and it does not only damages the environment but also societies. The war of Afghanistan is also known as the “war for lithium” because several countries wants to access it.
In conclusion, Diamond-Batteries would end wars and provide a more sustainable energy system. Would we be able to create them on time and enough to cover the quantity of batteries that exist in the world?
Thank you!
Maria
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Super interesting article! I was wondering exactly though how radioactive diamonds could be feasible for our small scale battery needs. According to the video link these diamonds can be conductors only when placed near radioactivity. This would be difficult to do. I find these new ways to produce energy completely enthralling – who would have thought to use diamonds for anything other than shiny objects? Of course we still have a ways to go to make this a sustainable and attractive solution. However, long-term this could host some serious potential and I am hoping to see this idea take off.
I have always been incredibly skeptical of nuclear energy. In my home province of Ontario, we had countless nuclear propaganda ads that would play during commercial breaks on TV. It was always advertised as “the clean solution” because it didn’t produce greenhouse gas emissions. Glaringly missing from these ads were, of course, the mention of nuclear waste, which is produced in huge volumes in Ontario and is unsafe to be around for thousands of years.
Ranting aside, I am excited to know that nuclear waste might actually have some purpose in the future! Even if only a small percentage of nuclear waste is diverted to this process, the number of conventional batteries that the diamond batteries will replace is a huge feat.
I’m excited to see how this unfolds! It’s a brilliant (pun intended) discovery.