Graphene Balls May Change Our Audio Devices

You might not have heard that there’s been a huge advancement in battery technology that’s likely to surpass anything that’s come before it. Samsung has developed a technology using graphene balls that not only will extend a battery’s capacity by 45%, but speed up the charging process to be about 5 times faster than what we’re used to today. For example, lithium ion batteries that now take 1 hour to fully charge, but could be charged in only 12 minutes if they employ graphene ball technology.

Not only that, but graphene balls are inherently stable and safe to use in high temperature situations like electric vehicles, and you won’t have to worry about flying with gear that has lithium batteries anymore, because this material renders them safe. And the batteries would last a lot longer too.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice derived from common graphite. You wouldn’t think it, but it’s the hardest element ever tested and conducts both heat and electricity very well. By coating the battery electrodes with the popcorn-like balls (seen in the graphic on the left), it would eliminate the chemical side effects that currently eat away the electrodes, causing heat and eventual battery failure.

This could result in a lot more audio gear using batteries than ever before. It would also mean not having to worry about replacing batteries in guitar pedals, wireless mics and transmitters, portable audio recorders and computer peripheral devices like a wireless keyboard or mouse, among other things nearly as often, if at all in some cases.

This means more convenience for the user, less hassle and expense, and better operation of portable gear. The downside is probably expense, at least in the beginning, but if there’s anything else, Samsung isn’t telling anyone.

The technology is closer than you think as well, since the company is already pretty good at making batteries already. Looking forward to this one!