Why Lithium Ion & Lithium Polymer Batteries Are Widely Used

These days, lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries are widely used in mobile phones, laptops, tablets, netbooks, cameras etc. What is the reason behind their extensive use in different gadgets? Lets learn about it.

1- Lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries provide higher capacity with smaller size as compared to other types of batteries. For example, a 4 AH, 12 V lead acid battery is much heavier than 4 AH, 12 V laptop battery.

2- Precise charging. These batteries have internal circuitry which controls the charge rate. Also these batteries never over charge even if their cells are more than 90 % worn out. On the other hand, other types of batteries especially lead acid batteries start getting overcharged if any cell is damaged or worn out inside them.

3- Do not require long priming when new. One regular charge is enough for them.

4- Lithium ion & polymer batteries can provide very high current to devices without losing much voltage. This is the reason a laptop works extremely well under full stress and load even if all the attached accessories are running at the same time.

5- These batteries have no memory effect at all. No memory effect means these batteries do not lose capacity after repeated full charge and partial discharge unlike NiCd batteries.

6- Laptop can be used even if it is connected to external power source and battery is already fully charged. Lithium ion and polymer batteries are not affected or very slightly effected by prolonged full charge.

7- Another major advantage of these batteries is very high efficiency. Battery can get fully charged in very short period of time.

8- Self discharge rate of these batteries is very low. Usually, self discharge is caused by built in monitoring circuit of battery.

9- Longer life span and higher number of charge-discharge cycles as compared to other types of batteries is  a big advantage of these batteries. These batteries if do not wear out due to repeated charge-discharge cycles, can survive for more than 10 years.