What Are the Reasons for Reducing the Life and Capacity of Lithium Polymer Batteries?

A large number of electronic devices use lithium-ion batteries. An improvement has led to the discovery of lithium-ion polymer, or LiPo, batteries that are much stronger in terms of performance. The batteries offer a higher specific capacity and longer life than other batteries.

Apart from that, LiPos are also lighter and with a good energy/size ratio. They recharge faster and promise the lowest self-discharge. It is no wonder they have become widespread in different applications, both low and high-power. Cellphones, laptops, power tools, EVs, and many other applications rely on these batteries.

Despite these benefits, LiPo batteries have some limitations too. For instance, the active material is more reactive than other substances in other batteries.

Also, like any other batteries, they lose capacity and life over time. Even though they last longer and perform better compared to other batteries, they still face aging issues.??We will discuss more in the next sections why these batteries lose capacity and life. 

Keep reading.

What Does lithium battery Capacity Decrease?

All rechargeable batteries become less effective when used over a certain period. This is because of the chemical aging that occurs in the battery.

Lithium batteries age too, where the amount of charge they can hold reduces. This results in shorter amounts of time the batteries can work without recharging. You may have noticed your device does not hold as much power as it used to when it was new. This is because of that chemical degradation.

The battery has reached its maximum capacity, which is the measure of a battery's capacity compared to a new battery. When the battery capacity reduces, it can also lose the ability to deliver maximum instantaneous performance, or "peak power."

3.2V 20A Low Temp LiFePO4 Battery Cell -40℃ 3C discharge capacity≥70% Charging temperature：-20~45℃ Discharging temperature: -40~+55℃ pass acupuncture test -40℃ maximum discharge rate：3C

READ MORE

Your phone or any electronic device must draw instantaneous power from the battery to function properly. Battery impedance is one of the factors that affect this performance. Batteries with high impedance may not offer enough power to meet the system's demands. And this impedance increase when a battery has a higher chemical age.

A low state of charge comes in when the battery's impedance is too high, just like it happens at low temperatures. Adding this effect to a higher chemical aging, the battery impedance rises even more.

With that in mind, here is a summary of things that affect capacity:

High impedance – When batteries draw power at high impedance, their voltage drop becomes greater. The device requires a minimum voltage to operate properly in its internal storage, power circuits, and battery. This power comes from the power management system determining the capacity of the power supply. So, when the full capacities of the power management systems fail and can no longer support the operations, the system shuts down to preserve the components – affecting its capacity.

What Causes Battery Life to Decrease?

All batteries come with specific lifespans. This is the length of time your battery will operate without failing. For instance, lithium-ion batteries can last up to three to five years with more than 1000 charge cycles.

You can increase or decrease a battery's lifespan depending on certain factors. Below are certain factors that affect battery lifespan:

Charge Cycles

One charge cycle is the complete drainage and recharge of a battery from 0% to 100%. You can also have a charge cycle from 50% to 100% and repeat it.

The more charge/recharges a battery has, the faster it degrades its lifespan. This is because of the battery's chemical makeup of lithium batteries. There are various chemical mechanisms by that cause degradation of these batteries.

Low Temperature High Energy Density Rugged Laptop Polymer Battery Battery specification: 11.1V 7800mAh -40℃ 0.2C discharge capacity ≥80% Dustproof, resistance to dropping, anti - corrosion, anti - electromagnetic interference

READ MORE

A good example is the side reactions that occur in li-ion batteries in their electrolyte, forming compounds that trap free lithium. This reduces the number of li-ions that move between the electrodes. Losing mobile ions reduces the maximum capacity that the battery can hold.

Electrode damages happen a lot through structural disordering, which diminishes its lifespan. The structural disorder comes during cycling as lithium ions move in and out of the electrodes. The number of li-ions the electrode can accept in its structure reduces due to this damage.

Battery Temperature

Another important factor that affects battery lifespan is temperature. However, there are so many misconceptions. For instance, some assume that cold temperatures reduce a battery's lifespan. A realization that smartphones 'die' faster in cold temperatures raises this misconception. This does not affect the battery lifetime.

The cool temperature can force the battery to shut down as electrode movement happens faster. In reality, cold temperatures may warm up the battery due to increased ambient temperature, and it operates normally.

Not cold temperatures but high temperatures affect a battery's lifespan. The electrolytes that stay between the electrodes break down with elevated temperatures. The battery then loses its capacity and shuts down.

Overcharging

Another reason why lithium batteries lose life is overcharging. This is the process of pushing current into the battery that is already charged. Doing so may cause overheating and potentially blow up.

Luckily, manufacturers are not using protection systems to keep batteries from overcharging. However, it's still recommended that you stop charging as soon as it hits 100% since leaving it connected can damage it in the long run.

What Are The Factors that Affect the Battery Capacity?

Every consumer wants the most powerful battery with a good capacity. You might find one, but it will not last long if you don't know how to keep it in the best operating conditions. There are several factors that determine how long your battery will last. They include the following:

Battery chemistry. Different batteries are designed to have different capacities. For instance, Li-ion batteries are considered to carry more capacity than lead acid and other technologies

Size and weight. In some cases, the larger the battery, the higher the capacity it displays.?

However, this also comes down to the type of battery. Lithium batteries are generally smaller and lighter but have more capacity.

Temperature. A higher temperature increases the internal heat and chemical reaction inside the battery. This can force it to run out of power too fast, affecting its capacity in the long run.

Physical damage also affects a battery's capacity. If you want to have one for a long time, consider always keeping it in the best working conditions.