1. What is the difference between lithium-ion and alkaline batteries?
1.1 Chemical composition
First of all, the cathode material of lithium-ion batteries mainly uses lithium cobaltate, lithium iron phosphate and other lithium-ion compounds, while the anode material mainly uses graphite, and the electrolyte contains lithium salts and high-purity organic solvents, etc., and the electrolyte generally uses lithium hexafluorophosphate.
As for alkaline batteries, alkaline batteries generally use manganese dioxide as the positive electrode material, the negative electrode material is generally used is zinc powder, alkaline battery electrolyte is generally used is potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide solution. This shows that lithium-ion batteries and alkaline batteries are very different in terms of chemical composition.
1.2 Working principle
Alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries are very different in terms of working principle. First of all, lithium-ion batteries mainly rely on lithium ions moving between the positive and negative electrodes to work, for example, in the charging process, lithium ions from the positive electrode to the negative electrode, after the electrolyte lithium ions are converted to lithium compounds, the negative electrode is in a lithium-rich state at this time, but the discharge process is exactly the opposite of this process.
As for alkaline batteries, alkaline batteries work on the negative electrode of zinc powder will be with the electrolyte in the alkaline liquid chemical reaction, producing hydrogen, releasing electrons, these electrons through the flow of external circuits will produce electricity, and the positive electrode to absorb these electrons will be released oxygen. It can be seen that lithium-ion batteries do not consume and produce any substances when working, while alkaline batteries consume and produce some substances.
1.3 Performance
The performance of lithium-ion batteries is obviously better than alkaline batteries. First of all, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is higher than that of alkaline batteries, so in the case of storing the same amount of energy, the volume and weight of lithium-ion batteries are lower than that of alkaline batteries, which makes lithium-ion batteries more durable compared with alkaline batteries.
1.4 Environmental adaptability
Generally speaking, lithium-ion batteries can work normally in the temperature range of -20℃-60℃, while alkaline batteries can work normally in the temperature range of 0℃-45℃, so it can be seen that lithium-ion batteries have a stronger ability to adapt to the environment than alkaline batteries, especially in the low-temperature environment.
1.5 Safety
Although the internal structure of alkaline batteries is relatively simple, so they are relatively more reliable and safer, alkaline batteries may leak or short circuit and other abnormalities during prolonged use. Lithium-ion batteries are generally equipped with a battery management system, which can provide real-time feedback on the battery’s condition, and the battery management system can take corresponding measures against abnormal conditions, such as overcharging, over-discharging and excessive battery temperature, etc., which can be seen that the safety of lithium-ion batteries is higher.
1.6 Applications
Because of the different characteristics of lithium-ion batteries and alkaline batteries, the application fields of these two batteries will also be different, generally speaking, the application fields of lithium-ion batteries are broader than alkaline batteries. Lithium-ion batteries can be used in precision equipment, such as cell phones, laptops, etc., can also be used in the field of high energy demand, such as electric vehicles and power plant energy storage. Alkaline batteries are generally used in small devices such as remote controls, electric toys and flashlights.
1.7 Price and Cost
Due to the more complex internal structure of lithium-ion batteries, the production cost of lithium-ion batteries is higher, so the price of lithium-ion batteries is much higher than alkaline batteries. However, you need to note that the service life of lithium-ion batteries is much higher than that of alkaline batteries. Generally speaking, the cycle life of alkaline batteries is only about 400-500 times, while the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries can reach about 1,500-5,000 times, so it is worth to buy lithium-ion batteries from the long-term perspective.
1.8 Environmental Protection
Because the internal materials of alkaline batteries are mainly elements such as zinc and sodium, while lithium-ion batteries have heavy metal pollutants such as nickel and cobalt inside, and the fluorine in the electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries will also pollute the environment, so lithium-ion batteries will pollute the environment to a higher degree than alkaline batteries. However, both alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries can effectively reduce pollution to the environment as long as they are recycled, which is something you need to be aware of.
2. How to choose between alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries?
You need to choose according to your needs, you need to consider the application scenario, budget amount and other factors. For example, suppose you need to install solar cells for your solar system, then alkaline batteries are obviously not capable of handling it, because alkaline batteries are disposable batteries that can’t be recharged and discharged repeatedly, so you have to choose lithium-ion batteries for this kind of application scenario.
3. Summary
Through the difference between alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries in-depth understanding, you can understand the characteristics of alkaline batteries and lithium-ion batteries, and then you can pick the right battery for you according to the characteristics of the two batteries, a suitable battery can become a big help in your life, if you have already had the idea of buying batteries, act now!
