Consumer Battery Technology

By Alyssa Durden

Eng 1105Elizabeth Owens

Batteries are a Large Commodity

The demand for materials used in the

production of batteries and fuel cells has been on a steady rise. According

to a study done by the Freedonia Group, world demand for materials

used in the manufacture of batteries will rise 3.9 percent per year to $22.8

billion in 2012.

So…What are Batteries?

Batteries are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy, consisting of a group of electric cells that are connected to act as a source of direct current.

Batteries are used in portable electronic applications such as garage door openers and electric lawn mowers

Battery ClassificationsBatteries are divided into two categories:

Primary

Secondary

Primary Batteries Advantages

Convenience lower initial costhigher capacity

DisadvantagesContinuous

replacementGreater long term

expenseWaste

Primary cell batteries are

designed to be used once and then discarded

as their electrochemical

reactions are not reversible.

Secondary Batteries Advantages

Can replace primary batteries in some devices

Lower long term expense

Ideal in high drain devices

DisadvantagesGreater initial costShorter shelf life High self-discharge

Secondary cell batteries can

have their chemical reactions readily

reversed giving them the

ability to be recharged.

Ok… So What are Batteries Made Of?

Whether batteries are primary or secondary, they can contain a variety of chemical systems.

Some common chemistries are:

Carbon-zincThe common Eveready primary battery and

standard nine-volt battery is made up of Carbon-zinc. Carbon-zinc is a generic term for primary dry batteries of the LeClanche or Zinc Chloride system. These batteries have an anode of zinc, a cathode of manganese dioxide, and a slightly acidic electrolyte.

Carbon-zinc cells are usually the lowest priced primary cells and have the lowest storage

density of the common battery family.

Alkaline-manganese dioxide primary batteries are basically the same as carbon-

zinc except their chemical makeup has been altered to make them more alkaline.

These batteries have advantages over

standard carbon-zinc such as higher energy density, better cold temperature

performance, slightly lower internal resistance, and longer shelf life.

Alkaline-Manganese Dioxide

Nickel Cadmium cells or “NiCad” were used as one of the oldest styles of rechargeable batteries. They have

the capability of withstanding deep discharges but have a sever drawback as well. The cadmium used in their anodes is highly toxic and also form cadmium

crystals over time creating a “memory effect” reducing the charge the battery will hold over time. This is the main reason many battery manufacturers have discontinued production of this type of battery.

=

So instead…..

Nickel Cadmium

Nickel-Metal Hydride

Nickel-Metal Hydride cells or “NiMH” have been a good substitution as they have essentially the same

qualities as NiCad batteries except by using hydrides, they are not as toxic

and do not form the crystals that cadmium does.

Lithium + ________

Lithium is a fast developing material used today in all shapes and sizes for both primary and rechargeable chemistry combinations. Lithium itself can be used

as an anode for primary batteries surpassing performance of carbon-zinc and alkaline systems while lithium-ion cells are the fastest growing and most promising battery rechargeable chemistry to

date.

Lithium-ion cells are showing high promise because they are lighter than other energy-

equivalent secondary cell batteries, do not develop a memory effect and have a lower self discharge

rate.

Future Research?

The search still goes on for the “Holy Grail” of batteries and studies are drawing power from just about every source that is imaginable. Studies in Nanotechnology

is a major focus as nanowires can be made from various materials. Some developments are:

Micro Batteries Paper Batteries

Nanowire solar cells

THE END(AND THANKS FOR LOOKING. )

So then the investment for the next generation of portable energy storage will remain stable and new technologies will

continue to surface.

Image CreditsEnergizer Corp.

Getty Images stockOnlybatteries.com

greenoptimistic.com

Referencehttp://www.advanced-battery.com/nicd.htm

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/alkaline_appman.pdfhttp://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=20980

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/nickelmetalhydride_appman.pdfhttp://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/whats_the_best_battery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPTcQJPbGHwhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-battryElec.html