Lithium Ion Battery
A Lithium Ion battery is a type of battery that is rechargeable and lasts longer than any other type of rechargeable battery currently on the market. Lithium Ion batteries are used for a wide variety of applications and are currently extremely popular due to their ability to be used in a wider range of temperatures than Nickel-Cadmium batteries and be charged more times. Lithium Ion batteries are used in digital devices and portable mechanical devices alike and can be charged over 1,000 times.
How Lithium Ion Batteries Work
Lithium batteries consist of a positive end (anode), negative end (cathode), and a pathway (electrolyte). The anode of a Lithium Ion battery is made of graphite or another form of a carbon, while the cathode is made of a metal oxide that usually consists of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, or lithium manganese oxide. The electrolyte is always a lithium salt dissolved in an organic solvent, as safety issues arise when using pure lithium.
In a typical battery, ions (particles of energy) flow from the cathode to the anode in a one-way process. In a Lithium Ion battery, however, a charging circuit is able to apply a greater amount of voltage to the ions than the battery produces and forces the ions to travel back from the anode to the cathode, where they attach to the porous material of the metal oxide. This process can be repeated hundreds of times before the battery gives out.
Applications
Lithium Ion batteries are used in a wide variety of products, such as MP3 players, flash lights, power tools, laptops, and even watches. Lithium Ion batteries are available in virtually every size, but require the proper sized charger in order to be recharged. Lithium Ion batteries are generally preferred over other types of rechargeable batteries because they are lighter, have no memory effect, and do not contain any free lithium metal, making them one of the most environmentally-friendly batteries currently on the market.
|
|
- Lithium Polymer Batteries
Lithium Polymer batteries are a type of Lithium Ion rechargeable battery. Lithium Polymer batteries utilize a dry polymer which enables them to be manufactured in a greater variety of shapes and sizes than Lithium Ion batteries. Lithium Polymer batteries also utilize a gelled electrolyte to increase conductance. These batteries may be more correctly referred to [...]...
- Nickel Cadmium Battery
A Nickel-Cadmium battery is a type of rechargeable battery that is often used instead of other common rechargeable batteries, such as Lithium-Ion batteries and Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. Nickel-Cadmium batteries were once the most popular type of rechargeable battery, but have battled with other rechargeable batteries over the years concerning price and applications due to the [...]...
- Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery
Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are rechargable batteries which are commonly used in mobile telephones and digital cameras. Nickel-Metal Hydride is abbreviated as NiMH. Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery Pros and Cons Pros: 30-40% more charge capacity than Nickel Cadmium batteries Fewer memory-effect problems than Nickel Cadmium betteries Less toxic than Nickel Cadmium batteries Cons: Fewer recharges than Nickel [...]...
- How a Battery Works
Batteries are used constantly by the public, from cars, computers, laptops, radios, to portable MP3 players, cell phones, and clocks. A battery, in a nut shell, can be defined as a can filled with certain chemicals that produce electrons from electrochemical reactions. Alessandro Volta created the first battery in 1800. In order to accomplish his [...]...
- Beer Battery
A beer battery is one of the new innovations in power generation that makes use of bacteria that consume sugar and brewery water waste to produce electricity. Beer battery is also called Microbial Fuel Cell or MFC. The bacteria used actually break down the sugar, alcohol and starch content of the waste water to produce [...]...