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Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery: Polymer, AA, D, C, 9 Volt, 9v Batteries

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Published: July 25, 2007

In the past, batteries were incredibly useful in thousands of devices, both important and frivolous, but they had a few problems. The old alkaline batteries performed well, but only for a limited amount of time and because they were disposable, they produced an enormous amount of garbage. Thanks to great technological advancement and a world looking for a more ecologically conscious energy process, the lithium ion battery is getting a big push in the battery market. The lithium ion battery might just be the future of personal device power.

The Lithium Ion Battery started as a project by Oxford University physics professor John Goodenough. It was at Oxford during the late 1970s that Professor Goodenough discovered the lithium compound that would make rechargeable batteries mass producible. This discovery would eventually go on to earn him the Japan Prize. The first lithium ion battery designed for consumer use was developed by Sony in 1991. Since then, almost every major personal power manufacturer has some sort of lithium ion battery in the marketplace.

Contrary to the classic alkalines, a lithium ion battery has minimal stationary memory loss and a great energy output for its size and weight. Of course, the best advantage to using a lithium ion battery is that it is rechargeable and can be used multiple times. As a result, it's extremely popular in electronics that require constant battery use. Video games, cellphones, and computers are all examples of common products that use a lithium ion battery. Additionally, rechargeable batteries are becoming very popular among the United States Military because they limit the number of batteries needed in the field as well as the need for new supplies.

Manufacturers are already looking for the next big consumer lithium ion battery. One idea that has become quite popular is the lithium ion polymer battery. Rather than the organic liquid that a lithium ion battery uses, the polymer uses a gel. The gel has the advantage of not being flammable, the ability to be housed in lighter plastics instead of metal, and the ability to carry similar charge to a lithium ion battery in forms as small and light as a credit card. Additionally, the polymer battery has a noticeably longer life span. Currently, the problems with the gel is that it doesn't hold as much initial charge as the standard lithium ion battery, and it is tremendously expensive to manufacture.

The future clearly lies in rechargeable batteries. Lithium ion batteries have been coming down in price and increasing in consumer use every year since their introduction in 1991. The versatility and reusability of the lithium ion battery has been a revolution in personal electronics. What the future holds is a mystery. There are certainly issues to be resolved in the current generation of battery packs, and many believe that polymer is the solution, but they are prohibitively expensive right now. However the battery revolution continues, it is safe to say that rechargeable batteries are the future of power.


Sources:
“Lithium-ion Battery.” Wikipedia. 14 July 2007. 16 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery.< br />Buchmann, Isidor. "Is Lithium Ion the Ideal Battery?.” Battery University. 2003-2005. 16 July 2007. http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-5.htm.
Buchmann, Isidor. “The Li-Polymer Battery: Substance or Hype?.” Cadex Electronics Inc. 2001. 16 July 2007. http://www.buchmann.ca/Article6-Page1.asp.
Brain, Marshall. “How Lithium Ion Batteries Work.” How Stuff Works. 1998-2007. 16 July 2007. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-b attery.htm.
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