Lithium Ion



The number of electric vehicles worldwide is increasing and this is causing an increasing demand for batteries. The range of these vehicles is increasing and the vehicle manufacturers in turn try to keep the charging time as limited as possible.


HISTORY
Electric vehicles have been around for a long time. The Dutch professor Stratingh already made an electric vehicle in 1835. Only 50 years later did this take shape because usable batteries were being developed in France. These electric vehicles were very popular until 1925. In Germany and France, but also in the United States, these cars were made by dozens of companies. The cars were appreciated for their smooth and quiet driving performance.


WHAT IS LITHIUM?

Battery technology has improved greatly over the years. Old-fashioned lead batteries are unsuitable for the current use of electrical appliances and vehicles. Lead batteries are heavy and have a low energy per unit mass. As a result, lead batteries cannot contribute to the currently desired ease of electrical appliances and vehicles.  In particular, the lowerweight and the possibility of many charging cycles of Lithium-ion batteries make these batteries particularly suitable.
 
Lithium was discovered in 1817 and gets its name from the Greek word lithos (rock). Lithium is a type of metal and is found in water sources and in certain types of rock. Lithium is mainly extracted from salt lakes. When the water has evaporated, the salt is removed and lithium remains. One of the most important extraction areas is in Chile: Salar de Atacama. New extraction areas are being sought because experts expect that we will need an estimated 470,000 tons of lithium per year by 2025.


LITHIUM OR LITHIUM-ION?
The difference between lithium and lithium ion (LI-ion) batteries is that most lithium batteries are not rechargeable, whereas the LI-ion batteries are. Lithium batteries use pure lithium in a metallic form. LI-ion batteries use Lithium connections. This allows the LI-ion battery to be charged and discharged frequently. This is not possible with a lithium battery.

ADVANTAGES LITHIUM-ION
- Higher energy density
- Higher voltage percell
- Easily rechargeable
- Optimal performance even at low temperatures
- Low self-discharge
- Long lifespan
- Many charging and discharging cycles possible

The many charging and discharging cycles are the main advantage of the lithium-ion battery. These batteries have no memory effect and therefore it is possible to charge or discharge them as often as necessary. But the battery also has disadvantages.

DISADVANTAGES LITHIUM-ION
- Expensive to purchase
- Loss of capacity
- Dangerous in case ofmisuse or accidents

APPLICATIONS
Lithium-ionbatteries have many advantages and are low on maintenance. Therefore, these batteries are increasingly used in consumer goods as well as business and industrial applications. Eg. batteries for power tools, bicycles, laptops, forklifts, cars and more.

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