Korean researchers develop flexible battery

Researchers in South Korea have developed a flexible battery that could be a step towards the development of flexible smartphones.The team, from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, say they have developed a "fluid-like" polymer electrolyte that is more flexible than a traditional battery.
The new system is, according to the researchers, more stable than conventional batteries.
A spokesman for the Korean science ministry told the Korean Joongang Daily: "Conventional lithium-ion batteries that use liquefied electrolytes had safety problems as the film that separates the electrolytes may melt under heat, in which case the positive and negative elements may come in contact, causing an explosion."
Last week, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung showed off a prototype for a flexible smartphone, which it calls Youm.
On stage at CES the prototype phone was shown being flexed and bent without any conspicuous colour distortion, with other pre-recorded demonstrations shown on film.Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, which is widely used across mobile phones, is also working on a flexible glass product called Willow.
It is likely to be available in time for use on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the forthcoming iPhone, but will not offer the flexibility of plastic. Subsequent mobile phone releases, therefore, may not use as much glass and may instead move to flexible displays.