For today’s technology, lithium batteries are an unavoidable part of the advancement process in powering every-day devices. You have, or will in the near future, come across batteries in portable phones, laptops, electric cars, electric drills, etc. People seldom take time to understand the components of batteries and how they work. A detailed description of each component and its function will be presented in the following paragraphs.
What are the types of lithium batteries?
Lithium, and its various types, comes from the varying chemistries and components each battery hold. Each type varies in its advantages and drawbacks in correspondance to particular electric requirements. Six types will be discussed primarily, which are:
Lithium Iron Phosphate
The battery type is also referred to as LFP battery and Lithium Iron Phosphate. Its components comprise of silver, graphite carbon and phosphate where the latter two serve as the anode and cathode respectively. LFP batteries are mostly of a nominal voltage of 3.2, but with series connections, they can also serve as 12.8 volt batteries. In addition to good thermal stability, longevity is also a strong quality of LiFePO4 batteries.
As per GMI Research, the Lithium Market is estimated to grow at a robust CAGR during the forecast period till 2028.
Section 2: Lithium Cobalt Oxide
With lithium cobalt oxide (henceforth, LCO) being the highly energy-dense material it is, they are also considered compact and lightweight. In a battery, lithium cobalt oxide ( LiCoO2 ) serves as a positive electrode material while graphite serves as a negative. The components of these batteries do provide safety and lifespan construction and criticism, but the energy density achieved is remarkable.
- Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide
Components of the NMC Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide battery include nickel, manganese, and cobalt. NMC battery exploits the manganese, nickel and cobalt’s properties to create a dependable battery. For instance, the stability of the battery high energy due to the combination of cobalt, nickel, and manganese.
- Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide
With Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide battery (NCA), there’s good energy density and power delivery. In addition, the battery’s long lifespan is a result of NCA composition with nickel, cobalt and aluminum.
What are the components of a lithium cell?
It is a positive electrode and is typically constructed with a lithium containing metal oxide. For different types of batteries, the cathode material is different, like lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), or even nickel manganese cobalt oxide. These components of the battery are designed to facilitate the lithium ions and free them during the charging and discharging cycles.
The anode is the negative terminal of the battery. In most cases, the anode is constructed with graphite or some silicon containing material. During the discharging process, lithium ions shift from the cathode and are then assembled into the anode’s crystalline structure.
Inside of the lithium battery, there are electrolytes which consist of lithium salts dissolved in organic solvents. The function of electrolytes is to facilitate the mobility of lithium ions through the cathode and the anode. In doing so, these ensure low resistance and thus prolonged battery life.
The separator is a thin layer of plastic placed between the anode and the cathode which contains small pores. It physically confines the anode and cathode of a battery to helps to avoid short circuits.
Making lithium cells consists of many important processes which range from preparing the electrodes to testing the final product. Each process in the making of a lithium cell is equally important and follows specific steps.
