Lithium Ion Batteries

Sony was the first to commercialize rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in 1991. Since then this humble battery has revolutionized the world.

Indeed in retrospect this invention was so significant and momentous that the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three individuals who made the most contributions to the development of this technology. In awarding the prize the Nobel committee made the following statement

This rechargeable battery laid the foundation of wireless electronics such as mobile phones and laptops. It also makes a fossil fuel-free world possible, as it is used for everything from powering electric cars to storing energy from renewable sources.

In this post I will explore the story of this humble battery.

Where it comes from

Lithium was discovered in 1817. It is the lightest solid element, with half the density of water. It is extracted from brine, salt deposits, and hard rock. Like any other precious resource Lithium is not uniformly distributed across the planet. In 2021 the world produced 105 thousand tons of Lithium and just two countries — Australia & Chile accounted for 75% of production. A typical phone battery has 1–2 grams of lithium and a laptop battery has 4–5 grams. An electric car will have 7–9 kg of lithium in its battery pack. Note: This isn’t the weight of the battery itself, it’s the weight of the lithium content of the battery. A typical phone battery might weight 30 grams, and a car battery could weigh between 450…