BeFC (Bioenzymatic Fuel Cells)
An ecological battery made of paper, sugar and enzymes...
Jules Hammond,
Jean-Francis Bloch,
Michael Holzinger,
Andrew Gross,
Marie Berthuel
BeFC has invented the first economical, ecological and efficient “biopile” made of paper. Thanks to its “biosourced” components, which are carbon paper, glucose and enzymes, the BeFC biopile is biodegradable and recyclable.
…To replace button batteries, harmful to the environment
When the venture began in 2014, BeFC’s four founders were academics working on miniature biopiles for pacemakers before turning their attention in 2018 to the virtues of carbon paper. In 2020, their biopile made from carbon paper, glucose and enzymes was patented and the company founded. The principle is relatively simple: the chemical reaction that triggers electrical energy is activated as soon as the biopile comes into contact with oxygen in the air and a liquid such as water.
Developed today on an industrial scale at a production rate of several hundred thousand units per day, the BeFC biopile is intended to replace button batteries, which are harmful to the environment. Recyclable and biodegradable, this ecological battery has received numerous awards and has won over customers around the world, in the medical prevention sector for patches for example, in the medical sector for surgery, in logistics for product traceability and for many other intelligent electronic devices.
« A human being will breathe oxygen every day, eat, and therefore get sugar to create energy. We simply imitated this well-known technology and added a few years of research! But to make it simple we can say that our battery works like a human being on paper. »
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