How is a Rechargeable Battery Made?
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About Rechargeable Batteries
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Rechargeable batteries come in different forms, depending on what they are used to charge. Over the years the components of rechargeable batteries have become both smaller and less dangerous, allowing them to be used in a variety of devices, especially small electronic devices such as cell phones or laptop computers. The most common advanced form of the rechargeable battery is the lithium-ion battery and its variants, which is so efficient it can be recharged for years before it needs to be replaced.
Rechargeable batteries work on the same principle that regular batteries do, by creating a flow of charged particles such as electrons between two electrodes. In primary batteries, this charge can only go one way, negative to positive, and cannot be replaced; when the battery's charge is gone, it must be thrown away. In rechargeable batteries, applying an outside electrical charge will reverse the buildup of charged particles within the battery from positive to negative, essentially resetting it and allowing it to be used again. The first and largest of these rechargeable batteries is the lead acid battery, created in 1859. This battery uses lead and lead oxide as its electrodes and a highly acidic electrolyte for the charge to pass through. This design was bulky and dangerous for constant personal use, but is still valued today as the basis behind car batteries.
NiCd and NiMH Batteries
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Smaller than the lead acid variety are nickel-cadmium, or NiCd batteries. These batteries use nickel oxide hydroxide as the cathode and metallic cadmium as the anode, with potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte. These batteries need to use their full charge before being recharged and are very dependable, still used today in harsh conditions where other batteries may fail. Their cadmium components, however, can become dangerous if overcharged, producing a hydrogen gas, and NiCd batteries can also suffer from "memory" problems. When recharged before being completely depleted, they tend to only discharge from the point they were last charged, leading to energy loss.
Because of the problems with cadmium, the more efficient nickel metal hydride, or NiMH, batteries were created. These use hydrogen as the anode instead of cadmium and can hold higher, longer-lasting charges than NiCd batteries. NiMH batteries have a variety of applications and can replace both lead acid batteries in cars and primary batteries used to charge everyday devices.
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Li-ion Batteries
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Lithium ion, or Li-ion batteries, are a more recent form of rechargeable battery. Due to their longevity, efficiency, lightweight properties and compact size, they have become the most popular choice for long-term battery use, especially in cell phones, computers and other electronic devices. These batteries use lithium and carbon for their electrodes. Since lithium is a very reactive element, it can hold a large amount of energy and loses only a small portion of it over time. The memory effect does not apply to Li-ion batteries, so they can be recharged at any time during their discharge period.
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