Lithium as a Med the Same SS Lithium from a Battery – Comparison and Prospects

Batteries are the most common and the most important source of power for modern-day technology. They can power anything from a pocket device to a rocket about to explore the universe. To fulfill the ever-increasing needs of science and technology of the current era, numerous types of batteries have been developed. Every battery serves a different purpose and possesses unique qualities and characteristics. The two very important types of batteries that are leading the race are lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Both of them may sound similar to a normal ear, but in reality, they have major differences that should be known before deciding to opt for either one. 

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Is a lithium battery the Same as a lithium-ion battery? 

To understand the difference between a lithium and lithium-ion battery it is very important to know what a basic battery is and what is it made up of? Every battery, no matter the technology it uses, consists of three main components – the anode, the cathode, and the electrolyte. The anode is the positive side, the cathode is the negative side, and the electrolyte is the chemical substance that acts as a transporter of electric charges from one terminal to another. 

Lithium batteries’ anode is made up of the metal lithium and they perform for longer hours as compared to the lithium-ion batteries. Depending on the size of the lithium battery, they can produce output voltages from 1.5 volts to 3.7 volts. Lithium batteries do not offer the luxury of recharge and are single-use batteries. They are used in a lot of electronic devices from toys to electric cars but their disposable nature does not make them suitable for the environment. 

Whereas, a lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable type of battery and does not impose the problems related to the environment. They are lightweight as compared to lithium batteries because their electrodes are made up of lithium and carbon. Being rechargeable in nature, lithium-ion batteries have become an integral part of almost all of the devices that we use in daily life as a laptop, cellphones, cameras, and tablets. They are also very efficient in maintaining their charge capacity because they lose only 5% of their charge even if left uncharged for a month. Another major difference between lithium and lithium-ion batteries is that the latter does not need to be fully discharged before recharging it. 

However, there are some similarities between the types of batteries. Both of them store and provide electrical power, both of them utilize chemical properties of substances to store energy, and when connected to a circuit both of them will allow the flow of power from cathode to anode. 

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Which Battery Is Better? Lithium or Lithium-Ion? 

The answer to which one of these batteries is better is not easy. The reason is that both of the batteries are different and are designed to suit specific operations. Therefore, it would not be correct to label either one of them better than the other without a specific application in question. 

Lithium batteries outperform lithium-ion batteries in applications where long-lasting battery backup is required. For example, in movie cameras, watches, remote controls, calculators, and smoke detectors. All of these applications require a constant long-lasting battery backup which does not require frequent plugging into the electricity mains. In such cases, lithium batteries are a better choice as compared to lithium-ion batteries. 

One of the biggest advantages of lithium-ion batteries is that they are a secondary type of batteries i.e. they can be recharged. Therefore, lithium-ion batteries will always be the preference in cases where the application allows the battery to be frequently plugged into a power source. The lithium-ion battery inside your portable devices like a cell phone offers a stable backup for as long as the charges are present. As soon as the battery charging ends, it requires you to plug your phone into the charging socket so that the lithium-ion battery inside it can be recharged. Devices like digital cameras, solar power storage, portable power banks, or other wireless technologies that allow recharging but do not allow the replacement of parts due to their frequent use prefer lithium-ion batteries over lithium batteries. 

Both types of batteries have their specific applications and precautions that should be taken under every circumstance. Neither lithium nor lithium-ion battery should be exposed to higher temperatures as it can cause permanent damage to the battery or in some cases cause the battery to explode making it hazardous for humans. Always store your batteries in the conditions that are advised by the manufacturer of the battery. If you are willing to replace or recharge your batteries, do it according to the instructions given. 

Progress in Flexible lithium batteries and Future Prospects

Batteries and flexibility are two mutually exclusive terms. However, the times are changing and these two properties are on the verge of becoming mutually exclusive under the supervision of Japanese minds. With an ever-increasing boom of technological devices and gadgets, the need for batteries is increasing faster than ever. New gadget designs are arriving in the market everyday, however, a very significant obstruction in the innovation of gadget designs is their batteries. Manufacturers can not produce devices or gadgets that have bulky battery packs hanging around your body. 

To overcome such limitations and to expand the horizon of lithium batteries Japan is now testing flexible lithium and lithium-ion batteries that will help them produce innovative designs for gadgets of technology and medicine. They are adding and testing new materials to the batteries’ most important components; the anode, the cathode, and the electrolyde. They aim to produce polymer electrolytes and membranes to use them for introducing flexibility to the batteries so that they can be used in various devices that are currently facing obstruction due to the absence of flexibility in batteries. Such designs will open the door for new opportunities and new devices in the field of health, medicine, sports, transport, and consumer electronics to produce better and more efficient devices that can work in even closer proximities than they are now.