Scientists have developed a self-destructing battery capable of dissolving when exposed to heat or liquid.

It delivers 2.5 volts and can power a desktop calculator for 15 minutes.

It could be used to keep military secrets confidential, and in environmental monitoring devices .

Iowa State University mechanical engineering professor Reza Montazami said it was the first practical transient battery.

While this particular battery could not be used in the human body as it contain lithium, researchers have been examining how batteries could dissolve harmlessly within the human body, and prevent the pain of removal, for several years.

Prof Montazami developed the lithium-ion battery with a team of scientists who recently published details of their discovery in the Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics.

It measures 5mm in length, is 1mm thick and 6mm wide, and is similar to commercial batteries in terms of its components, structure and electrochemical reactions.

How it works

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