The Lithium-ion battery has many years ahead of it. Not so long ago in the US, a new cathode was presented to the department of Energy by American researchers. Its distinctive features are a double coating of nanocrystals and a strong proportion of manganese in the mix. It’s not yet ready for mass production, but with claims that this method offers twice the amount of power we can expect to see commercialisation in the coming years.

Evolution

In 1999, the Lithium-ion Polymer appeared. It was used in small electronic devices that required little energy (for example, HP used it in their Pocket PC); and its electrolyte is a polymer in gel form. The advantage is that we get smaller batteries that can take any shape required as the gel does not require a metallic case. The other advantage is a less volatile and flammable accumulator. On the other hand the energy density is far less than with the classic Li-ion.

Another battery, also inspired by the Li-ion, is the Lithium-phosphate battery. One of its features is that it uses a cathode containing iron and phosphate in a mixture like LiFePO4, instead of the traditional Cobalt dioxide. One of its advantages is that it is less volatile and safer than Li-ion – as you can tell, quite a priority for battery makers. It makes sure the oxygen is not released easily, which stops an exothermic reaction [Star Trek: Voyager, eh? –Ed] from taking place when the temperature increases. These batteries are not yet on the market and it is still impossible to describe their capacity accurately.

Creation

Scientists promise us the moon and the stars, like 20 hours of battery life with the fuel cell battery. Whatever the fuel, the principle is based on a reaction inverse to electrolysis: they call on hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. This battery is not limited to laptops as it is equipped in certain car prototypes and other big projects.

We are still waiting for it being mass produced and sold on the public market. However, for the marketing of such a product to be feasible, serious obstacles would have to be overcome, such as the recharging of the battery which contains ethanol – something that would require a paradigm shift in how we think about our batteries.

The second part of our article will be devoted to the Lithium-ion battery life in laptops with different operating systems and what to know to save extra minutes of precious power.