What Li–ion batteries Pros and Cons

Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular battery type these days. You can find a couple of them in every home. They are being used in laptops, mobile phones, tablets, players and all other kinds of small utility technology. A Li-ion battery is a rechargeable battery type whose lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. Li-ion batteries use an intercalated lithium compound as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in non-rechargeable batteries. They have no memory effect, high density and low self-discharge. All of the above make them the most commonly used and easily afford batteries.

The lithium ion cell is situated in the battery's metal outer case, which is basically a spiral compressing three thin metal sheets together which are: -А Separator -A negative electrode -A positive electrode Inside the case these sheets are submerged in an organic solvent, which acts as the electrolyte, called ether. The separator is a very thin layer of perforated plastic that separates the positive from the negative electrode in a way which allows ions to freely float in between.

Advantages:

  • Li–ion batteries are much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries, mostly due to their inner particles. Lithium and carbon, that are inside are extremely light materials, lithium is also a highly reactive element and all this results in a very high energy density. A typical lithium ion battery can store 150 watt-hours of electricity in a 1 kilogram battery. Whereas, in comparison a lead – acid battery can store only 25 watt-hours per kilogram.

  • They hold their charge. A lithium-ion battery pack loses only about 5 percent of its charge per month, compared to a 20 percent loss per month for NiMH batteries.

  • They have no memory effect, which means that they don’t have to completely discharged in order to be recharged

  • Li-ion batteries can hold for hundreds of charge and discharge cycles.

Besides all the positives, these batteries have some flows that we have identified bellow:

Disadvantages:

  • They start degrading as soon as they leave the factory. They would only last a few years (around 2 or 3)

  • They are extremely susceptible to high temperatures. Heat causes irreversible damage to li-ion batteries and shortens their lives much faster than normal conditions

  • If a li-ion battery gets completely discharged, it will break down

  • A lithium-ion battery pack must have an on-board computer to manage the battery. This makes them even more expensive than they already are.

  • There is a small chance that, if a lithium-ion battery pack fails, it will burst into flame.

We can definitely say the advantages are much more than the disadvantages and because of this, the li-ion batteries are being introduced more as part of our daily lives. Also, with nowadays technology advancement they are getting smaller and more powerful. However, if we would like our battery to provide us with its best performance, for the longest period it can, we should be cautious about its storage, charging, and maintenance.

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