Lithium batteries v alkaline batteries

Lithium batteries are the kind of batteries which have a lithium metal around them which acts as the anode of the battery. There are various types of lithium batteries which include lithium-ion batteries and lithium polymer batteries which differ in terms of the electrolyte used in the battery. Alkaline batteries are the type of batteries which contain the zinc and magnesium as the anode and cathode, with a potassium hydroxide electrolyte.

These two batteries have a quite big difference when it comes to the use, the type of electrolytes used, the ability to be rechargeable, and the shelf duration among other many differences.

Are Alkaline and lithium batteries Interchangeable?

It is possible to interchange alkaline batteries with lithium batteries. This however works with conditions. Lithium and alkaline batteries have different voltages hence their replacement or interchanging should be based on the type of both batteries and the sizes of both batteries. For instance a small lithium battery like AA energizer is 1.5 volts, this is the exact amount of voltage that an alkaline battery has, and this means that these two can be interchanged. On the other hand, a big lithium battery can have a voltage of 3.0 volts; this means it cannot be interchanged with an alkaline battery which is only 1.5 volts.

What is the difference between a lithium battery and an alkaline battery?

There a lot of differences that are quite evident between these two common types of batteries many people actually have a problem differentiating them, here are the differences between these two types of batteries in terms of;

· The composition

The composition of these two batteries is quite different. This is the main thing that identifies the batteries. lithium batteries are mainly composed of lithium oxide and graphite as the electrolytes which are in the form of organic compound and not a liquid, this is because a liquid compound can easily cause a reaction between it and lithium which will in turn lower the voltage, on the other hand, alkaline batteries use zinc and magnesium, manganese dioxide in specific as the cathode and anode, with an addition of potassium hydroxide.

· Safety

Safety is a very important thing you need to know before using any kind of batteries. The safety of these two batteries is quite different. Lithium batteries have a higher risk when it is exposed to fire that alkaline batteries have. This is because of the more energy that lithium batteries have in comparison with the amount of energy that the alkaline batteries have. This is the reason why alkaline batteries are considered safer compared to lithium batteries. There is a high possibility of lithium batteries exploding when exposed too much heat than when alkaline batteries are exposed too much heat.

· The price

The price of lithium batteries is higher than the price of alkaline batteries. This is because the materials used in making of lithium batteries are not easy to find like the materials used to make alkaline batteries which can be found cheaply, this is the reason why the lithium batteries have a relatively higher price than the alkaline batteries.

· Voltage

There is a difference in the voltages of these two batteries; this is because of the different electrolytes that exist in these two batteries. Lithium batteries tend to have a higher voltage that the alkaline batteries. This is the reason you should be very sensitive when trying to replace one battery with another, you should know how many alkaline batteries will match the voltage of a lithium battery for them to work perfectly.

How to choose lithium or alkaline battery

Choosing between lithium batteries and alkaline batteries is entirely dependent on what you want the battery for, or which characteristic do you want in a battery. When you want to choose you should consider these factors

· Durability

When all you want in a battery is the time the battery can take to be completely wear out then you should consider choosing the lithium batteries, the batteries have a higher voltage compared to alkaline batteries, this is the reason why they last longer than.

· Price

This is also a thing you should consider if you want to buy any of these batteries. If it is the affordability you need to in the battery then you should go for alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries are much cheaper compared to lithium batteries because of the raw materials used to make them which are cheaper compared to that of lithium batteries.

· Weight

The weight of the two batteries can also be a factor to consider when choosing. If you want something light that will not be a burden to you then you will need to go for lithium batteries, they are lighter than the alkaline batteries hence easily portable especially when you want to move around.

· Safety

The safety when dealing with batteries is a very important thing to put into consideration. If you want the kind of battery that is safer to have around then you should go for alkaline batteries. This kind of batteries is not dangerous when exposed to heat unlike lithium batteries which can explode when exposed to excess heat. However lithium can still work in very extreme low temperatures.

· Voltage

This is now the most important of all; the main reason why you are buying a battery is to use it, it is then important to consider if the voltage will be able to run the device you are buying the battery for. You can end up buying a batter which is not able to work in your device due to low voltage. If you want a battery which has a high voltage then you should go for lithium batteries, they have a higher voltage compared to the same size of alkaline batteries.