Do Lithium Batteries Have Memory-Definition and Effects

It’s a fact that everybody uses electronic devices now, whether it is a cell phone or another device. Electronic devices these days are incredibly flexible, as there is no need to have them plugged into the socket all the time. Of course, their independence from electric sockets is not without reason. There’s always a battery that supports the device’s performance. Seeing that our tools depend on their batteries, it’s still a good idea to maintain the battery’s life properly. Or else, it will suffer from memory definition and its effects. In this article, we will talk about the memory effects on lithium batteries and how everything can change because of memory definition.

What is the memory effect on lithium batteries?

Before we delve further on the topic of memory effect on lithium batteries, let us first define what the memory effect is.

Since batteries cannot be used 24/7 all the time, it is essential to recharge them daily (especially when it’s capacity is almost at its end). Of course, charging the devices means that we have to wait for the recharging process to complete. During the process, it’s best to leave the machine alone and do other activities.

Unfortunately, many of us are not patient enough to wait for our recharged batteries. People nowadays tend to plug off the recharging equipment from the partially-recharged electric devices. There are various reasons for such action, but most people have the same excuse. They are not patient enough to wait for their cellphones to be adequately recharged.

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Such fatal movement affects the longevity of the device’s batteries. Partial charging, especially on nickel-based batteries, can result in memory effects. Memory effects’ definition is the condition where the batteries gradually lose their abilities to adequately hold the battery’s ability to gain power at one hundred percent.

For example, you have the habit of stopping your phone when the charging is at eighty percent. Eventually, the battery will no longer hold the ability to maintain its ability to hold power in one hundred percent. It will gradually lose the charging ability little by little until it becomes no longer fit to support the electronic device’s capability.

Now, we have heard of many cases of memory effect on nickel-based batteries. But what about memory effects on lithium batteries?

Does memory effect exist in lithium batteries?

All these times, many people believe that memory effects in lithium batteries do not exist. Overall, they are not wrong. However, there are some technical details of the charging that can reduce the battery’s power if they are not charged properly.

Now, let’s talk about the process of lithium batteries getting their energy during charging. During charging, the battery’s electrode material (LiFePO4) has microparticles that are charged one by one during the charging process. The load of individual particles also releases lithium ions. When the charging process is complete, lithium ions are no longer there; instead, we have iron phosphate (FePO4). To make it short, some particles are released during the charging process, giving room for the particles necessary for the battery.

The process of conversion explained above can only be done when the charging process is at one hundred percent. Now, what would happen if the device is discharged halfway? When the device is released halfway, the conversion will not occur ultimately, meaning that the particles will go back being electrode materials. Moreover, the lithium-rich particles are not able to cross over to the other side. They are stuck being lithium-rich, and eventually, their potential chemicals (the ones that maintain your battery’s health) will decrease. After all, it is an unstable process.

If the adverse effect above sounds similar, that’s because it is identical with memory effects. Although memory effects on lithium batteries are not common, there are potentials that it can still happen. So, it’s best to start taking care of your cells as early as possible.

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Is the memory effect good or bad for a battery?

Although memory effects on lithium batteries are not as fatal as nickel-based batteries, they still give unwanted after-effects as they were mentioned above. After all, lithium batteries are pretty sensitive. Lithium batteries need a protection circuit to ensure the smooth process of giving energy and being charged.

Moreover, there is also the case of aging. Although lithium batteries do not age as fast as nickel batteries, their effectiveness still wears out (usually after two or three years).

Since lithium batteries have their shares of trouble, it’s best not to add even more by doing things that can lead to memory effects. The primary way to prevent signs of memory effects on lithium batteries is by waiting for the charging to be complete. You can only discharge the device and start using it when the load reaches one hundred percent. If you’ve practiced the incomplete charging, don’t worry about it. You can always revert the effectiveness of the battery by doing the advice suggested just now.

Conclusion

From here, we can conclude that we know very little about lithium batteries. Discoveries and troubles always make its way into our knowledge of lithium batteries. However, you do not need to worry. Scientists work hard to ensure that lithium batteries are continuously improved. They always adjust the new improvements with society’s current needs of long-lasting batteries.

Right now, researchers are striving on ways to minimalize the effect of memory effects on lithium batteries. Petr Novak, one of the co-authors who published a journal of memory effects on lithium batteries on Nature Materials, believes that the issue of memory effects will be resolved soon. When that day comes, we don’t need to worry about our batteries anymore.

While we wait for that day, let’s make out batteries healthy. Don’t do anything that can lower its effectiveness. Just charge it until one hundred percent, and you are ready to go. As long as you do this, there is no way there will be any memory effects on lithium batteries of yours.