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Technology

Japan drone submarine eyes 16-hour dive with plastic battery

Sanyo tests rechargeable prototype with Kawasaki's unmanned vessel

Sanyo Chemical Industries' all-polymer battery can power Kawasaki's unmanned submarine for 16 hours on one charge.

KYOTO -- Sanyo Chemical Industries' rechargeable battery made almost entirely of plastic is now powering an unmanned submarine by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in a test run, with the promise of doubling the vehicle's operation range to 16 hours. 

The trial presents the first commercial use of the all-polymer device made by Sanyo subsidiary APB. The battery, whose electrolytes are also made of resin, lasts twice as long as its lithium-ion cousin and boasts cheaper production costs and greater resistance to fires.

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