The search for energy solutions that last a very long time and are good for the environment has led scientists to look at unusual ideas. One of the most exciting recent developments is the “carbon-14 diamond battery.” This technology promises to power devices for thousands of years by using the energy from radioactive materials as they break down. This amazing idea, which used to be mostly just a theory, has recently made big steps towards becoming a real product.
How the “Eternal Spark” Works
At its heart, the carbon-14 diamond battery uses a principle called beta-voltaics. Unlike regular batteries that create electricity through chemical reactions, or solar panels that turn light into electricity, these batteries directly change the energy from tiny particles called beta particles (which are high-energy electrons) into electrical current. These beta particles are released when radioactive materials break down.
The main material in these batteries is a radioactive element called carbon-14 (C-14). It’s special because it has a very long half-life, about 5,730 years. This means it takes over five thousand years for half of the carbon-14 in a sample to break down. This long half-life ensures the battery provides a very steady and continuous power output for incredibly long periods.
The clever part of this technology is how the carbon-14 is contained: it’s placed inside a man-made diamond structure. Diamond is one of the hardest and toughest materials we know, and it serves two important purposes:
Turning Energy into Electricity: As the carbon-14 atoms break down, they release beta particles. These fast-moving electrons hit the diamond’s structure, making the diamond’s own electrons move and create an electric current. This is similar to how light particles hit silicon in a solar cell to make electricity.
Blocking Radiation: Very importantly, the diamond structure itself acts as a very good shield against radiation. Carbon-14 releases radiation that only travels a short distance. This radiation is completely absorbed by the thick diamond casing, so no harmful radiation escapes. This makes the battery safe to use.
Latest Discoveries and Progress
In a major “world-first” achievement, scientists and engineers from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the University of Bristol successfully built a working model of a carbon-14 diamond battery. This important step, announced in late 2024 or early 2025, showed that this new power source can actually work.
A key part of this development involved using a special plasma deposition rig to grow the diamond structure with the carbon-14 inside. This process is very important for making this technology on a larger scale, as a method called chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is already used to make thin layers of man-made diamond.
What’s more, a big benefit of this technology is its potential to use nuclear waste. The carbon-14 used in these batteries can be taken from radioactive graphite blocks, which are a leftover product from nuclear power plants. This not only provides a valuable material for the batteries but also helps reduce the amount and radioactivity of nuclear waste. It’s a smart way to deal with waste.
Benefits and Possible Uses
The special features of carbon-14 diamond batteries open up many possibilities for uses where regular batteries just aren’t good enough:
Extremely Long Life: Their main advantage is how long they last. With carbon-14 having a half-life of 5,730 years, these batteries could potentially power devices for thousands of years, meaning you wouldn’t need to replace or recharge them often.
Low Maintenance: Because of how they’re designed, these batteries need almost no looking after once they’re put to use. This makes them perfect for places that are far away or hard to reach.
Safety: The diamond casing safely holds in the short-range beta radiation, making them safe for many different uses.
Good for the Environment: By using nuclear waste in a new way, they offer a sustainable solution that helps solve a big environmental problem.
Constant Power: They provide a steady, small amount of power (microwatts) all the time, no matter what the environment is like (unlike solar power).
These features make them especially good for:
Medical Devices Inside the Body: Powering things like pacemakers, hearing aids, and eye devices. This would greatly reduce the need for surgery to change batteries.
Space Exploration: Giving long-term, reliable power to satellites, space probes, and missions deep in space where other power sources aren’t practical.
Remote Sensors: Powering sensors that monitor the environment in faraway forests, deserts, or deep-sea areas for decades without needing anyone to check on them.
Smart Tracking Tags (RFID): Allowing long-term tracking and identification of items on Earth or in space.
Harsh Environments: Their strength and ability to handle extreme temperatures make them suitable for tough conditions.
Challenges and What’s Next
Even with this exciting progress, carbon-14 diamond battery technology still has challenges to overcome before it can be widely used:
Low Power Output: Right now, these batteries only produce a tiny amount of power (microwatts). While this is enough for devices that use very little power over long periods, they can’t yet power high-energy devices like smartphones or laptops.
High Cost: The special steps needed to get carbon-14 and grow man-made diamonds, plus the careful handling of radioactive materials, make them expensive to produce.
Making More: While CVD is a known method, making enough of these batteries to meet future demand in a cost-effective way is still a hurdle.
Rules and Regulations: Working with radioactive materials means following very strict rules and needing special procedures for handling them.
Companies like Arkenlight and NDB (Nano Diamond Battery) are actively working on developing and selling diamond battery technology, looking at different radioactive materials and methods. While NDB has made big claims about a 28,000-year battery before, the recent breakthrough from UKAEA and the University of Bristol specifically focuses on carbon-14 and shows a real working model.
Most scientists believe this technology could be ready for specific uses in the next 5-10 years. While they won’t replace regular batteries for everyday high-power devices, carbon-14 diamond batteries are a huge step forward in creating power sources that last an extremely long time and don’t need outside help. Their ability to turn nuclear waste into a useful energy source also highlights their potential to change specialized uses and contribute to a more sustainable energy future.
References:
IOM3. (2025, February 12). ‘World first’ carbon-14 diamond battery. Retrieved from https://www.iom3.org/resource/world-first-carbon-14-diamond-battery.html
American Nuclear Society. (2025, February 14). A diamond battery for Valentine’s Day? Retrieved from https://www.ans.org/news/2025-02-14/article-6765/a-diamond-battery-for-valentines-day/
UKAEA. (2024, December 4). Diamonds are forever? World’s first carbon-14 diamond battery produced. Retrieved from https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/diamonds-are-forever-worlds-first-carbon-14-diamond-battery-produced/
EnerTherm Engineering. (2025, May 13). Eternal Spark: How Diamond Batteries Are Revolutionizing Power. Retrieved from https://enertherm-engineering.com/eternal-spark-how-diamond-batteries-are-revolutionizing-power/
City Labs. Nuclear Batteries Technology: Purposes, Types & Cost. Retrieved from https://citylabs.net/nuclear-batteries/
Arkenlight. Home. Retrieved from https://www.arkenlight.co.uk/
NDB. Home. Retrieved from https://ndb.technology/
