Lithium-Ion batteries are a staple among modern electronics, most handheld electronics have them - but with technological advancements pushing the envelope further towards electric vehicles and alternative energy sources, the demand for lithium batteries has never been higher. With their commonality, we might ask, where do they come from, and where do they go after use?
Lithium is the key component of Lithium-Ion batteries – who knew, but what you may not know is that it was first discovered in 1817 through the analyzing of petalite (now known as Lithium ore). It wasn’t until 1958 when Lithium was looked at through the lenses of its electrochemical properties. Its physical properties of low density, high capacity, and weight mean that it is an excellent candidate for battery anodes. ¹
An anode is a key component of a battery alongside the cathode, responsible for storing and releasing lithium-ions from the cathode. There are three materials that anodes are made from, each serving different purposes: ²
- Natural Graphite – Lithium-Ions are stored between the layers
- Synthetic Graphite – Allows for stable structure and battery life
- Silicon – Storage capacity, energy density and fast-charging design
Lithium-Ion batteries deliver superior performance in battery life, and performance for modern technologies making them excellent candidates for portable electronics, solar energy storage systems and electric vehicles. ³
Lithium-Ion batteries are heavily favored over legacy portable battery types like Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) due to their relative non-toxicity. Cadmium in particular is a toxic heavy metal where its use is heavily restricted across the EU. In addition, Li-Ion batteries are significantly lighter than NiCd and NiMH batteries
Batteries using these materials suffered from the memory effect or ‘reduction in peak operating voltage’ – meaning their capacity deteriorates over many charge/discharge cycles. To boot, this combination of materials is not easily recyclable – these are just some of the reasons the world favors Lithium-Ion over other chemical make-ups.
At the time of writing, Australia leads the world in Lithium production, making up 46% of the world's total Lithium production, followed by Chile at 24% and China at 16% coincidentally China rank’s 3rd in the world for production but 1st in the world for Lithium Consumption; they continue to spearhead the manufacturing stages of the Lithium-Ion supply chain - unsurprising from the industrial capital of the world. ⁴
Western Australia's Greenbushes mine originally extracted tin, but now it is the world's largest lithium mine.
Since 2015, global Lithium production has grown 27% annually, with demand forecasted to hit 2 million tons by 2030 – production will need to increase by over 2200% from current levels. This demand has been pushed by EV’s and consumer need for high-power electronics.
Our portables all contain Lithium-Ion batteries but unlike some, Tait manufactures its hardware locally. We don’t manufacture battery cells, but we procure three battery packs and one battery cell, we piece each of these together in our factory in New Zealand to form three different capacity batteries, these are:
- Slim line Li-Ion 1880mAh
- Performance Li-Ion 2400mAh
- High-Capacity Li-Ion 3300mAh
These batteries are compatible with our P25 and DMR TP9000 Portable Radios range*
Sustainability is the top priority of lithium battery producers with developments continuing to develop higher-capacity anodes, more advanced cathodes, and further improvements to efficiency and safer energy storage solutions.
Regardless of the extensive life cycle that Li-Ion batteries have, there must be a planned end point for their final resting place. On average a li-ion battery lasts 300 to 500 charge/discharge cycles or two to three years (depending on countless factors and varying between battery types and capacities) - where do they go? ⁵
Graph courtesy of marketresearchfuture.com
The majority of Lithium-Ion recycling is done in east Asia, where they are recovered as pure metals, rather than alloys or salts and are delivered back into the supply chain of battery manufacturing. ⁶ Recycling efforts globally are often a localized and leveraged to minimize the carbon footprint of the recycling process - Tait relies on the appropriate certified facilities and local councils in charge of Lithium-Ion battery recycling and responsible disposal.
Keen to learn more about your options for batteries for Tait Portable Radios? Have a read through our portable accessories catalog available on our website.
Stay tuned for more informational pieces such as this.
References:
1 - Brief History of Early Lithium-Battery Development - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7215417/
2 - The Rise of Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Historical Overview of Key Milestones - https://greencubes.com/blog/the-rise-of-lithium-ion-batteries/
3 - Designing superior solid electrolyte interfaces on silicon anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/nr/c9nr05748j#:~:text=The%20solid%20electrolyte%20interface%20(SEI,%2Dion%20batteries%20(LIBs
4 - Lithium Production by Country (1995 - 2020)
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/charted-lithium-production-by-country-1995-2020/
5 - North East Battery - What's the Lifespan of a Lithium-Ion Battery?
https://northeastbattery.com/whats-lifespan-lithium-ion-battery/
6 - China Leading Country in the World With Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries - Market Research Future https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/news/china-leading-country-in-the-world-with-recycling-of-lithium-ion-batteries
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