Lithium Battery Technology

Lithium technology has only emerged in batteries over the past 20 years. It is a particularly attractive substance to use in batteries because it combines very light weight with chemical features that make it suitable for the design of high voltage batteries. In Lithium cells, Lithium is the material used for the negative electrode, and manganese dioxide is the typical choice for the positive electrode.

Lithium batteries have the following beneficial characteristics:

• A high cell voltage (of typically 3V), compared to 1.5V for a typical alkaline or silver oxide battery.
• A virtually constant voltage over the discharge period, allowing their use in sensitive electronic equipment.
• A shelf life of up to 10 years.
• A wide range of operating temperatures from -30°C to +60°C.

These features make lithium batteries an ideal candidate for these applications:

• Low drain long-life applications, such as smoke detectors or computer memory backup.
• Light, high voltage applications, such as cameras or flashes.

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