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March 29, 2005* — Toshiba Corporation announced a high-energy density lithium-ion battery today that can recharge 80 percent of its power within one minute. This is about 60 times faster than other lithium-ion batteries on the market. The new rechargeable battery will be available in products, including digital cameras, in 2006.
According to today’s Toshiba press release, the company used the "latest advances in nano-technology….A breakthrough technology applied to the negative electrode uses new nano-particles to prevent organic liquid electrolytes from reducing during battery recharging. The nano-particles quickly absorb and store vast amounts of lithium ions, without causing any deterioration in the electrode." The battery can last for a long time, losing only one percent of its capacity after 1,000 cycles of discharging and recharging.
Toshiba expects the little battery to have a big impact in sectors like hybrid cars and mobile telephones. The prototype battery measures 3.8 x 62 x 35mm and has a capacity of 600mAh (for comparison sake, a typical AA battery has a 2000mAh capacity).