Lithium-ion battery

    Lithium-ion batteries also can be abbreviated Li-ion batteries.

    They are a type of rechargeable battery. In the battery, lithium ions move from the anode to cathode during discharge, and from the cathode to the anode when charged.

    Lithium ion batteries are normally used for consumer electronics, health care devices, military devices, electric construction tools, and other special electric products, etc. They are one of the most popular types of battery for portable electronics, and a slow loss of charge when not in use. So it brings a great convenience to our daily life and work.

    There are three primary functional components of a lithium ion battery: the anode, cathode, and electrolyte, for which a number of materials may be applied. The most popular material for the anode is graphite in commercial field. The cathode is generally one of three materials: a layered oxide, such as lithium cobalt oxide, one based on a polyanion, such as lithium iron phosphate, or a spinel, such as lithium manganese oxide, although materials such as TiS2 (titanium disulfide) were originally used. With the application of material for the anode, cathode, and electrolyte, the voltage stability, capacity, service life, and safety of a lithium ion battery can improved dramatically. Recently the performance of these batteries have been improved by the employment of novel architectures.

    In addition, Lithium ion batteries are different from lithium batteries. The key difference is that lithium batteries are primary batteries that contains metallic lithium while lithium-ion batteries are secondary batteries which contains an intercalation anode material.