National University of Science and Technology MISIS

As important as face masks are in our current pandemic-riddled world, they have a major environmental impact. Now scientists have demonstrated a novel method for disposing of old masks by using them to make low-cost, flexible and efficient batteries.

Both cars and electronic appliances require heat removal systems, typically made of steel or aluminum. That may soon change, though, as scientists have created two magnesium alloys which they claim can reduce the weight of such systems by a third.

Through experimentation with a newly created type of material, scientists in Russia have landed on a lithium-ion battery design with a number of promising performance benefits, in particular the ability to offer triple the capacity of today's solutions.