Li-Ion Rechargeable? Debate Is Over

Demystify the Jargon and Buzzwords Rechargeable batteries are pretty simple devices, but there is a lot of jargon surrounding them. Here’s our guide to the things you need to know to make an informed choice.

NiMH: Nickel Metal Hydride The chemistry inside the battery that stores the electrical charge. One side of the battery is made of Nickel Oxide Hydroxide, and the other is made of an alloy of several rare earth metals. When the battery is charged, the Nickel Oxide Hydroxide gives up a Hydrogen ion, which is absorbed by the alloy. When the battery is used, this is reversed, creating a flow of electric charge out of the battery. Charger: The device that controls the flow of charge into a battery. You should never use a NiMH battery (like the ones in this guide) with a non-NiMH charger, as this can damage them.

LSD: Low Self Discharge All batteries lose a certain amount of charge over time, even when they are not connected to anything. This is called a self-discharge. Typically, a NiMH battery will lose up to half its charge if stored for a year. Some batteries minimize this by adding extra insulation inside the battery.

mAh: milliamp-hours A measure of the amount of charge that can be stored in a battery. 1 mAh is a flow of one milliamp over an hour, so a 2000 mAh battery can deliver 2000 milliamps (or 2.0 Amps) for one hour, or 200 milliamps for 10 hours.

Cycles or Recharge Life: Each full charge and discharge is one battery cycle. All batteries lose capacity when used, meaning that they can store a little less charge with each cycle. Manufacturers offer a cycle life, a number of cycles that the battery can go through before it loses a certain amount of its capacity. This is defined in a standard called IEC 61951-2.

Other Sizes and Adapters: We focused on rechargeable AA/AAAbatteries for this guide as they are, by far, the most commonly used battery size. They can also be used to power devices that require C- and D-size batteries too. All you have to do is pop them into an appropriately-sized adapter, and you’re in business.

Habbits

We use batteries. We throw them into recycle bin. We buy new ones. We never really think about HOW much of a waste this process really is. Wastes in terms of money. AND in terms of the environment.

Recycle or Reduced Cycle?

People talk about "battery recycling" . But how much of the battery materials are recycled? By what means?

The best way to think of recycling or environment protection should be conservation. Conserve the amount of resources that go into making a product. Then get the most useful life out of it. Build products that LAST a long time, at realistic cost.

One AppTORRENT rechargeable li-ion battery can be used hundreds of times like new. Save money AND save the environment!

Here’s a brief history of how the quest of scientists and innovators for improved power, weight, cost, and other factors have led to the modern battery that we know today.

• Voltaic Pile (1799)

Italian physicist Alessandro Volta created the first electrical battery in 1799 that could provide continuous electrical current to a circuit. The voltaic pile used zinc and copper for electrodes with brine-soaked paper for an electrolyte.

• Daniell Cell (1836)

British chemist John Frederic Daniell created The Daniell cell in 1836 to improve upon the limited service life of the Pile’s Cell. The Daniell cell used a copper pot filled with copper sulfate solution, which was further immersed in an earthenware container filled with sulfuric acid and a zinc electrode. The Daniell cell’s electrical potential became the basic unit for voltage, equal to one volt.

• Lead-acid (1859)

The lead-acid battery was the first rechargeable battery, invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. Lead-acid batteries are low in cost and high in surge current, making them suitable for automobile starter motors and energy storage even today, with tens of billions of USD sales globally.

• Nickel Cadmium (1899)

NiCd batteries were invented in 1899 by Waldemar Jungner in Sweden, paving the way for modern technology, though they are being used less and less because of cadmium’s toxicity, giving up market share to batteries that are more familiar to us today.

• Alkaline Batteries (the 1950s)

The modern alkaline battery was invented by Canadian engineer Lewis Urry in the 1950s. Using zinc and manganese oxide in the electrodes, the battery type gets its name from the alkaline electrolyte used: potassium hydroxide. Alkaline batteries are used in regular household devices from remote controls to flashlights, with billions of alkaline cells sold in the world each year.

• Nickel-Metal Hydride (1989)

The development of the NiMH spanned decades, initially sponsored by Daimler-Benz and Volkswagen AG, and the first commercially available cells were introduced in 1989. The NiMH formulation uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy instead of toxic cadmium. This makes it more environmentally safe – and it also helps to increase the energy density. NiMH batteries were widely used in power tools, digital cameras, and many electronic devices.

• Lithium-Ion (1991)

Sony released the first commercial lithium-ion battery in 1991. Lithium-ion batteries have high energy density and have several specific cathode formulations such as Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO), Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and Lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA).

Different lithium-ion chemistries are suited to specific applications, and the landscape is continually changing with new innovations.

The short answer is Yes. Rechargeable batteries don’t only let you save money in the long run, they’re also more sustainable than disposable ones. They cost more initially, but you end up saving a lot more since you don’t have to replace them for a long time.

If you’re a big fan of electronics, you know how frustrating it can be to use disposable batteries. You’re always changing batteries – not to mention spending a lot of money. AmpTorrent’s battery has an impressively high charge capacity and ability to hold power consistently during extended storage periods. With our batteries, you usually don’t need another set for five years.

The upfront cost of a rechargeable battery may seem a little high, but in the long run, the charger and any battery you buy will pay for itself quickly. Instead of buying a new battery every time the power tool stops working, it is better to put the dead battery in the charger for a few hours to get a new set of batteries, which can be reused. Is cycling better for your wallet and the environment?