Li-ion Batteries

Li-ion Batteries

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Lucas TVS to build Li-­ion battery unit for ₹2,500 cr.

Concept –

• A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery.
• Li-ion batteries use an intercalated (Intercalation is the reversible inclusion or insertion of a molecule into materials with layered structures) lithium compound as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in a non-rechargeable lithium battery.
• The battery consists of electrolyte, which allows for ionic movement, and the two electrodes are the constituent components of a lithium-ion battery cell.
• Lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging.
• Lithium batteries were proposed by British chemist and co-recipient of the 2019 Nobel prize for chemistry M. Stanley Whittingham, now at Binghamton University, while working for Exxon in the 1970s.

Lithium-ion Battery Applications:

• Electronic gadgets, Tele-communication, Aerospace, Industrial applications.
• Lithium-ion battery technology has made it the favourite power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

Benefits

• Long life cycle
• High Voltage
• High Storage Characteristics
• High Energy Density

Disadvantages of Li-ion Batteries:

• Long charging times.
• Safety issues as instances of batteries catching fires have been there.
• Expensive to manufacture.
• While the Li-ion batteries are seen as sufficiently efficient for applications such as phones and laptops, in case of EVs, these cells still lack the range that would make them a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.