It never fails … you go to use a device that should be fully charged, but its battery has gone flat over time. Such may soon no longer be the case, however, if battery manufacturers simply start using a different type of adhesive tape.

      When commercial lithium-ion batteries are being assembled, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tape is utilized to keep their electrode stacks from unwinding. And while the mechanical and electrical properties of the polymer are good for the job, scientists at Canada's Dalhousie University state that its chemical stability has been largely overlooked.