Lithium battery technology came into existence during the oil crisis of the 1970s.
At that time, an English chemist, Stanley Whittingham, began working on the concept of a new battery that was able to recharge on its own in a timely manner. Whittingham hoped that this could lead to fossil fuel-free energy in the future.
The future is now, and the applications for lithium batteries are considerable, including:
- Pacemakers
- Digital cameras
- Watches
- Solar energy storage
- Emergency power backup
- Portable power packs
- Smartphones
- Laptops
Lithium is the lightest metal and has the best electrochemical potential with the largest energy density compared to weight.
Lithium ion has twice the energy density of nickel-cadmium and there is an opportunity for a higher energy density.
Lithium ion batteries have a high cell voltage of 3.6 volts, meaning battery packs can be designed with just one cell, allowing most mobile phones to run on a single cell.
Lithium ion batteries are low maintenance and do not need priming when new, one standard charge is all that is necessary. Lithium ion batteries also have a low self-discharge, less than half the self-discharge of nickel-based batteries.
Cells can also be adapted to provide an extremely high current to applications such as power tools.
Lithium ion batteries do not have a memory effect, which is a detrimental process that causes partial charge/discharge cycles to cause a battery to stay at a lower capacity.
Additionally, lithium batteries do not contain toxic cadmium which means they can be disposed of easily when compared with Ni-Cd batteries.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Overview of Lithium Battery Technology, a 1-day course that provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of lithium battery technology, including its principles, applications, advantages, challenges, and future developments.
Participants will gain the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions regarding the use and management of lithium batteries in various industries.
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.