In modern society, batteries are widely used in various fields as an important device for energy storage and conversion. Among them, lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries have attracted much attention because of their high energy density, long life and other advantages. However, although they have similar names, there are significant differences between them in terms of definition, principle, charging capacity, safety, performance characteristics, and application areas. This article will explore these differences in detail to help readers better understand and select the right battery.
Difference in Definition and Principle
Lithium battery
Lithium battery is a battery that uses lithium metal or lithium alloy as the negative electrode material and uses a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. Its working principle mainly relies on the chemical properties of lithium metal, i.e. the high activity of lithium metal in the chemical reaction. However, due to the reactivity of lithium metal, its environmental requirements are extremely high and it needs to be stored and used under special conditions.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion batteries, on the other hand, are secondary batteries (rechargeable batteries) that work mainly by moving lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes. During the charging process, lithium ions are dislodged from the positive electrode and embedded in the negative electrode through the electrolyte, which is in a lithium-rich state; the opposite is true when discharging. This working principle makes the lithium-ion battery has higher energy density and longer life.
Difference between charging capacity and cycle life
Lithium battery
Lithium batteries are usually disposable batteries, i.e., they can only be discharged but not charged. Therefore, its charging capacity is very limited, once the power is exhausted, it needs to be replaced with a new battery. At the same time, due to the inability to charge, lithium battery cycle life is also shorter.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries with high rechargeability and cycle life. Users can recharge lithium-ion batteries through a charger to restore their power. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries usually have a high number of cycles and can be used repeatedly for charging and discharging, thus extending the life of the battery.
Differences in safety
Lithium-ion battery
Due to the chemical properties of lithium metal is very active, lithium batteries in the storage and use of the process there are certain safety risks. For example, at high temperatures, short circuits and other circumstances, lithium batteries may be thermal runaway, fire and other accidents. Therefore, when using lithium batteries, special attention needs to be paid to safety precautions to avoid accidents.
Lithium-ion battery
Compared to lithium batteries, lithium-ion batteries are safer. This is because there is no lithium metal in lithium-ion batteries, and its positive and negative materials are stable compounds. At the same time, lithium-ion batteries are also equipped with a variety of safety protection mechanisms, such as overcharge protection, overdischarge protection, overcurrent protection, etc., to ensure that the battery can automatically cut off the circuit under abnormal conditions to avoid safety accidents.
Difference in performance characteristics
Lithium battery
The energy density of lithium batteries is usually high, but limited by the activity of lithium metal, its performance may be affected to some extent. In addition, the self-discharge rate of lithium batteries may also be high, i.e., they will gradually lose their charge even when they are not in use.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion batteries offer higher performance advantages. First, their energy density is typically higher than lithium-ion batteries, allowing them to store more energy. Second, lithium-ion batteries have a lower self-discharge rate, allowing them to hold their charge for longer periods of time. In addition, lithium-ion batteries also have a higher discharge voltage and lower internal resistance, making them better performance in practical applications.
Applied in different fields
Lithium battery
As lithium batteries are disposable batteries, and there are safety hazards, their application areas are relatively limited. At present, lithium batteries are mainly used in some of the battery performance requirements are not high, and the need for disposable power occasions, such as some high-end cameras, watches and so on.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in a variety of electronic products, such as smart phones, laptops, tablet PCs, and so on. Meanwhile, with the popularization of electric cars, hybrid cars and other means of transportation, lithium-ion batteries are also widely used in these fields. In addition, lithium-ion batteries are also used in energy storage systems, aerospace and other fields to meet the demand for high-performance and high-safety batteries in different fields.
Conclusion
In summary, lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries are significantly different in terms of definition, principle, charging capacity, safety, performance characteristics, and application areas. Although both are based on lithium elemental battery technology, lithium-ion batteries have the advantages of higher energy density, longer life, and better safety, and are therefore widely used in modern electronic products and transportation and other fields. Therefore, when choosing a battery, we need to choose the right type of battery according to the specific application requirements and environmental conditions.
