Battery Technology for the Masses

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tech Talk! 

Tech Talk Topic

Today's topic will cover the extraordinary technology of lithium-ion batteries.  Lithium-ion batteries can be seen in just about everything from consumer electronics to airplanes and military vehicles.

What is a lithium-ion battery?

Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery in which a lithium ion moves between the anode and cathode.  Okay, hold up!  What the heck is an ion and what the frick is an anode and cathode? 

An ion is simply an atom.  You know, the building blocks of matter that have electrons(-), protons(+), and neutrons(neutral). We all learned about atoms in junior high physical science but somehow managed to forget about them 1 day after class ended.  Atoms that have an odd number of electrons and protons are called ions.  The odd number of electrons vs. protons gives the atom its positive or negative charge.  

Now that we're clear on what an ion is, what is an anode and cathode?  When it comes to rechargeable batteries, think of the anode as the (+) positive terminal of the battery and think of the cathode as the (-) negative terminal of the battery.  Easy, right?

Why lithium?

First and foremost, the electrochemical properties of lithium are awesome!  Lithium's properties as a electrochemical substance were first discovered in 1980, but early pioneers had some challenges to overcome.

Lithium is a highly dangerous element that reacts severely to water moisture.  So rather than having an anode and cathode comprised soley of lithium, inventors of the lithium-ion battery favored  a material encapsulating the lithium-ions. 

Advantages of lithium-ion

Lithium-ion batteries can be formed into a variety of shapes and sizes, they are extremely light-weight compared to their counterparts, they have a low discharge rate of approx. 5% per month, and they suffer no memory effect.  Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries have a very high voltage rate vs. lead acid, nickel hydride and nickel cadmium batteries.  All of which are popular in consumer electronics.

Popular applications

Lithium-ion batteries are wide spread in the consumer electronics industry and are even gaining fame in some aerospace and military applications.  One of the more noticeable applications of lithium-ion batteries is in cellular phones.  Today's cellular phones are more than just phones.  They are portable media devices with wide varieties of applications and uses.  The more feature packed these devices become, the more need they have for long-standing battery power. 

Like all batteries, lithium-ion batteries do have a shelf life and should be replaced according to your device's manufacturer specifications.  For reference, two excellent sources for cell phone lithium-ion batteries are www.cellbatterystore.com and www.newegg.com.  Both are reputable online retailers that carry OEM replacement batteries.

Until next time!

Jason