Lithium Polymer Lithium Battery
Lithium polymer batteries are similar to lithium-ion batteries but use a solid rather than liquid electrolyte. This makes them much safer. They also have a lower chance of catching fire, although they can still explode if punctured or overheated.
Unlike liquid lithium batteries, polymer batteries do not expand at high states of charge. They are also safer to handle and have better safety features.
High Energy Density
Lithium polymer batteries (LiPo) are lithium-ion battery types that use solid electrolytes instead of liquid ones. This avoids leaking of the electrolyte solution and provides higher energy density than traditional lithium-ion batteries.
LiPos also show a greater degree of stability in high-state-of-charge applications, whereas their liquid counterparts may expand at these levels, causing damage and reducing reliability and cycle life. These batteries are more expensive to manufacture than liquid polymer lithium battery lithium-ion batteries, but their superior cycling life and safety make them a compelling alternative for electric vehicles and cordless vacuum cleaners.
Lithium polymer batteries have been shown to be capable of surpassing traditional LIBs in specific energy due to their anti-leakage properties and easy processing. Their polymer matrixes can be used as both ion conductors and binders, and they have been found to significantly increase the energy density of SSLIBs with high-mass-loading cathodes. These benefits are especially important for applications such as electric cars and drones. In addition, these batteries are safer and have better environmental performance than liquid lithium-ion batteries. They can also be recharged faster, resulting in longer usage time and more cycles.
No Memory Effect
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, polymer lithium batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. This is because they use a dry solid, gel-like electrolyte that minimizes the free liquid in the cell. This eliminates the need to drain the battery before charging it.
Lithium polymer battery manufacturers can add a variety of safety features to the cells to increase their safety. They can also make their battery packs very thin, which is a great benefit for devices with limited space for the cell.
These batteries are usually used in portable electronic devices that require a thin, compact battery. They can power smart wearables and provide back up power for devices like smartphones. These batteries are a great choice for consumers looking for a reliable, low-cost alternative to lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries. They are also safer than other types of batteries because they do not contain any toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium. They can be molded into various shapes and can be added with connectors, thermistors or thermal fuses to create a battery pack.
High Cycle Life
In general, the more charging cycles a battery goes through, the higher its cycle life. However, the cycle life of a lithium battery depends on various factors, including the discharge depth, cycling rate, temperature and electrolyte quality.
Lithium polymer batteries use a gel-like polymer electrolyte, which is an advantage over liquid chemical electrolytes. The gel-like electrolyte has good flame tolerance and is resistant to mechanical damage, which makes it ideal for battery designs that require a thin form factor. Lithium-polymer batteries also have superior overcharge and overdischarge resistance compared to their lithium iron phosphate counterparts.
In addition, lithium polymer batteries can withstand higher voltages during discharging, which increases their cycle life. To achieve high cycle life, it’s important to minimize the peak charge and discharge voltages. A good guideline is that every 70mV reduction in the peak charge voltage increases a battery’s cycle life by about 10 percent. It’s also a good idea to avoid excessively short discharging, as this reduces the battery’s capacity. The battery can also benefit from a cooling system to keep the temperature stable during operation.
Safety
Lithium batteries have been in the spotlight recently because of high-profile incidents of them spontaneously combusting. The chances of this happening are miniscule, but these batteries are prone to overheating, which triggers a runaway chemical reaction that results in fires.
Thermal runaway typically begins when the battery is charged at too high a current density and exposes itself to extreme temperatures, which can damage the cathode. It can also occur from internal short circuits caused by metal debris penetration, lithium dendrite formation during cycling, defective separators that are created during battery assembly, or flaws in the electrode pastes.
Polymer lithium batteries do not have these issues, which makes them one of the safest types of lithium batteries. However, they are not immune to other issues, including leaking of the battery’s electrolytic component. These leaks can cause the battery to overheat and potentially explode. The solution to this issue is ensuring that the battery cells are manufactured correctly, and the protective casing is not compromised or punctured. This is why it’s important to choose your battery carefully.
Easy to Charge
A lithium polymer battery has Solar Lithium Battery a lower self-discharge rate and can hold a charge for longer than other types of batteries. They also have a higher energy density and can be recharged faster. This makes them a great choice for your solar off-grid system.
Lithium polymer cells differ from lithium-ion cells by using a dry solid gel-like electrolyte instead of the liquid lithium salt and organic solvent used in lithium-ion batteries. These electrolytes are typically a mixture of lithium hexafluorophosphate and polyethylene glycol, or a similar compound.
These batteries are very lightweight, making them perfect for wearable projects. Each cell has a nominal voltage of 3.7V and can hold 110mAh. They are terminated with a standard 2-pin JST-PH connector with 2mm spacing between pins. They require a specialized Lithium Polymer charger and should be charged slowly to 100% to let the internal chemistry get accustomed to the full-charged state.
Although lithium-ion batteries have received some bad press lately due to a few high-profile incidents of spontaneously combusting, they are still safe to use and can be very effective in the right applications. However, they can be more prone to overheating if exposed to extreme heat, and may leak their electrolytic component if punctured.
