Bauxite miners (BAU) could be the about to be sparked into life after a report out of London said scientists believe they have invented a new battery that could fully charge a smartphone in just one minute.
The researchers are said to have created an aluminium battery which they hope could replace the lithium models commonly found in laptops and mobile phones. And as well as the "unprecedented charging times" of their aluminium prototype, the team said it was also safer than lithium - ion batteries as it was less prone to catching fire and more environmentally friending than alkaline models such as AA and AAA.
Publishing the findings in the journal Nature, Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Standford University, hailed it as a breakthrough in battery technology that went further than previous attempts at using aluminium.
Bauxite, an aluminium ore, is the world's main source of aluminium. It consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al(OH)3, boehmite γ-AlO(OH) and diaspore α-AlO(OH), mixed with the two iron oxides goethite and haematite, the clay mineral kaolinite and small amounts of anatase TiO2.
If the research team can perfect its research and the breakthrough becomes commercially viable, aluminium will become a much sought after resource.
BAU Price at posting:
8.3¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
