The Differences Between Lithium-Ion And Alkaline Batteries

Lithium-Ion And Alkaline Batteries

The most common batteries used everywhere in the world are alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries. They can be found in almost every battery-powered device. As much as these batteries are the most commonly used, they are completely different. They have nothing in common except for the goal of giving energy. Alkaline batteries were the most commonly used, but over time, the lithium-ion battery has dominated the market overall.

The Main Differences Between Lithium-Ion AndAlkaline Batteries

Primarily, these batteries differ in the material from which they are made, that is, with the help of which we get energy. Alkaline batteries contain zinc and manganese oxide, while lithium-ion batteries use lithium metal.

Both types of batteries have their own shapes, first alkaline batteries had more shapes, but as lithium battery manufacturers became dominant on the market, so did they introduce many more shapes of lithium batteries.

Battery power varies considerably. Lithium batteries have twice the power supply compared to alkaline batteries. This is one of the reasons that lithium batteries are now being used more and more in all possible devices that come to us with the advancement of technology. Lithium-ion batteries have a drastically higher capacity than non-rechargeable lithium and alkaline batteries.

Battery life is definitely longer with lithium batteries, which benefits manufacturers because they use batteries that will last longer in any device.

Samsung 25r Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable, while ordinary lithium batteries are not rechargeable. Lithium-ion batteries can be recharged over and over again but that doesn’t mean they will last forever. Each battery has its own lifespan or how many charge cycles there are. Alkaline batteries are not rechargeable, although there is a theory that they can be recharged. Charging them would cause the battery contents to leak, which could lead to an explosion or fire. There are a couple of alkaline batteries that can only be charged a couple of times, but for longer use and recharging it’s best to use lithium-ion batteries that are made for exactly that purpose.

Batteries also differ in shape and size. Ordinary lithium batteries are batteries that are mostly round flat like a coin and its size varies depending on whether it is used for watches, thermometers, calculators, or something else. Lithium-ion batteries come in 4 shapes: flat, small and large cylindrical batteries and prismatic. Alkaline batteries are cylindrical in most cases, but there are also flat ones. Both alkaline and lithium batteries come in different sizes, but lithium-ion batteries have prevailed in size. The largest lithium-ion battery is Tesla’s Powerwall battery, which is charged using solar energy and used as a power storage device for household use.

The average recycling of alkaline batteries is 50%, while the average recycling of lithium-ion batteries is only 5%. With both types of batteries, recycling requires a lot of money, but again it is cheaper for alkaline and therefore the average recycling for alkaline batteries is higher. With both types of batteries, recycling is done by mechanically separating the metals that are in the battery itself. The very feasibility of mechanical separation is easier with alkaline batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are only recycled in a few countries so this requires another expense. Environmental pollution is higher with the use of alkaline batteries because they are not rechargeable, which leads to the production of larger quantities of batteries, but when we look at the recycling percentage, it shows that lithium-ion batteries are more harmful and are more complicated to recycle.

The safety of using batteries is higher when using lithium-ion batteries, while the risk of using alkaline batteries is higher. Alkaline batteries and ordinary lithium batteries are prohibited during an aeroplane flight because there is a risk of an explosion. Lithium-ion batteries are safer to use, but also safer during a  flight, although it is recommended that lithium-ion batteries shouldn’t be used during the flight.

 

Steve Martin

Steve Martin

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