Author: angel

When you peer into the world of batteries your first thought is “wow – there sure are a lot of batteries”. While this is certainly true as self directed environmentalist I wonder just how many batteries can actually be recycled. To answer the question let’s look at batteries from the…

Most rechargeable batteries have a charge-discharge cycle that ranges between 300-500 cycles (for lithium based chemistries – NIMH can have up to 800 charge-discharge cycles and NICD chemistries can have up to 1200). A charge-discharge cycle means that a battery once at 100% draws power down to 0%. Then after…

To build a battery you have four basic overarching battery components including the casing, chemistry, electrolyte, and the internal specialized hardware. At the core of these four basic overarching battery components are the foundation blocks; the raw materials necessary for the construction of a battery. Minerals and materials used in…

If you ever were curious to know just how much of the chemical, lithium, was packed into your battery then there is a way you can calculate it. Let’s look at an example, say the HP Compaq 367759-001, we know that this battery has the following technical specifications: 10.8V, 8800…

Lithium-oxygen, or lithium-air batteries are one of many pathways to improving on today’s energy storage technologies. Lithium, and other metal-air batteries are favored in research for their potential for high energy densities, however low efficiency and poor cycle life have proved tough obstacles to overcome in developing the technology. One way to…

Smart Battery packs have very specialized hardware that make possible a battery to provide just the right power at just the right moment. This hardware includes the connector, the fuse, the charge and discharge FETs,  the cell pack, the sense resistor (RSENSE), the primary and secondary protection ICs,  the fuel-gauge…

There are three types of battery chemistries currently in use with power tools. They are NiCD, NiMH, and Li-Ion chemistries. The decision to choose one of the specific battery chemistry for your power tool depends on your application, the frequency of use, and the amount of power you need. Here is a brief breadown…

Who buys lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and battery grade lithium metal? To understand the market segment for lithium we need to understand where lithium comes from, where it is used and why it is used. Lithium was first discovered through a chain of events and a number of…

Battery Self discharge rates: Bad news: all batteries have what is called aself discharge rate. Good news: if you have a rechargeable batteryall you need to do is recharge your battery! Let me explain in greater detail the concept of battery self discharge. All batteries will self discharge over a…

“If I charge my phone when it is at 50% capacity to full 100% capacity, would it be the same “1” charge as if I charged it from 20% to 100% capacity?” To answer this question completely and to avoid confusion I will start with the basics and do my…