Primary battery paradigm redefinition within the environmental planetary boundaries

Resumen

Digital technologies are generating a global transformation with economic, social, and environmental implications. Digitalization has already shown many benefits to society; however, it is also generating a fierce debate on how to ensure a positive, sustainable, and just social impact. As this global trend of society digitalization speeds up, planned obsolescence and linear economy models are consequently generating an unprecedented amount of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or e-waste. In particular, batteries, which are today’s ubiquitous power sources in portable EEE, represent a critical component in the generated WEEE. For portable batteries to stop contributing to environmental degradation, and become an example for sustainable technological development, it is crucial to change the way the batteries value chain is approached. This thesis presents a new rationale for sustainable portable batteries development in which the complete life cycle is analyzed and redefined under ecodesign principles and advocates for a 'tailor-made' approach, where the battery ends up integrated into the application value chain. The rationale, inspired by the doughnut economy model, sets an environmental ceiling and a performance foundation for portable batteries, defining a safe space for sustainable and environmentally conscious battery development. The work has been organized into five chapters: one introductory chapter, a second chapter in which the disruptive rationale for battery development is established, and then three experimental chapters each one devoted to a different battery development. Each of the three disruptive primary battery concepts presented has been designed under different frameworks for a specific application. The first battery is a flow battery profoundly inspired by nature, which mimics fluid transport in plants to generate electric power. Conceived for precision agriculture, biodegradability has been matched as an alternative end-of-life scenario. The second battery has been ecodesigned for smart packing applications with paper and cardboard recycling as inherent end-of-life. In order to fulfill the specific requirements of such recycling process, this chapter revolves around the development of the materials that compose the battery. In particular, laser-induced graphene over cardboard is assessed as current collector material, and an ionic conductive bio-based hydrogel is presented as a battery matrix to contain the active species. The last chapter explores the possibility of local and decentralized battery development. The conceptualization of the battery is located in coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico. In these regions there is a lack of proper battery recycling, thus the development of a biodegradable battery becomes especially appealing. The project viability has been assessed through interviewing and sharing it with the local population. This way, the project framework has been created by embracing local people's needs and aspirations, to conceive a sustainable battery for which fabrication processes can be implemented in the communities. The thesis’s final goal is to raise awareness and understanding on how our individual choices and actions, even at a research-level, collectively affect our natural resources. It demonstrates that feasible and efficient solutions can be created by placing sustainability as a core priority. In essence, the batteries presented in this thesis are the evidence that it is imperative but also possible to redefine society’s technological priorities to consciously reduce humanity’s environmental impact.