A lithium -ion also called Li-ion battery is an advanced battery technology that uses lithium ions as a key component of its electrochemistry. Lithium atoms in the anode are ionized during a discharge cycle and separated from their electrons. The lithium ions move from the anode and pass through the electrolyte till they reach the cathode where they recombined with their electrons and get electrically neutralized. The lithium ions are very small so they are able to move through a micro-permeable separator between the anode and cathode. Li-ion batteries are capable of having a very high voltage and charge storage per unit mass and unit volume. Li-ions use a number of different materials as electrodes. The very popular and common combination is that of lithium cobalt oxide (cathode) and graphite (anode) which is found in cellphones and laptops.

Pros of Li-ion batteries

• ·         They have among the highest energy densities of any battery technology today (100-265 Wh/kg or 250 -670Wh/L).
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• ·         It can deliver up to 3.6 Volts which is almost around 3 times higher than technologies such as Ni-Cd and Ni-MH.
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• ·         They have no memory effect, unlike other batteries.
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• ·         Li-ion batteries have a low self-discharge rate i.e., around 1.5-2% per month.

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4. ·         Li-ion batteries are used to power the electrical system for some aerospace applications which is the more environmentally friendly Boeing 787, where weight is a significant cost factor.

 

Cons of Li-ion batteries are listed below:

• ·         They have a tendency to overhear which can be damaged at a high voltage which may lead to thermal runaway and combustion.
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• ·         Li-ion batteries lose capacity and frequency after a number of years.
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• ·         They are very expensive around 40% higher than Ni-Cd.
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• ·         They are around a hundred times less energy denser than gasoline (which is 8760 Wh/L by volume.

 References:

https://www.cei.washington.edu/education/science-of-solar/battery-technology/

For figure:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422100300X