What is a Lithium Ion battery?
Li-Ion has quickly become the emerging standard for portable power in consumer devices. Li-Ion batteries produce the same energy as NiMH batteries but weigh approximately 35% less. This is crucial in applications such as camcorders or notebook computers where the battery makes up a significant portion of the device’s weight. Another reason Li-Ion batteries have become so popular is that they do not suffer from the memory effect at all. They are also environmentally friendly because they don’t contain toxic materials such as Cadmium or Mercury.
Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries pack high energy density in a tiny package, making them the ideal choice for devices such as laptops and cell phones. Commercialized in 1991 by Sony, Lithium ion batteries provided a superior alternative to the prevalent nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries of the day. Lithium has long been desirable for batteries because it is the lightest of all metals, making it a tantalizing choice for a portable energy source. In fact, ever since the 1970s, lithium based batteries have been available in a non-rechargeable form. Watch batteries are one well-known example. The relative instability of the lithium proved even more apparent during charging, leading to its slow adoption as a rechargeable battery. The end result is a compromise where the name says it all – lithium ion batteries use only the ions rather than the metal itself. The outcome is a much more stable though slightly less powerful energy source ideal for recharging. And even with the decrease in power,
