Charging lithium cells

Lithium-Ion Cells. Lithium-ion cells and the newer alternative, lithium-ion-polymer, can usually run much longer on a charge than comparable-size Nicad and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Usually is the keyword here since it depends on the battery s application. If the product using the battery requires low levels of sustained current, the lithium battery will perform very well however, for high-power technology, lithium cells do not perform as well as Nicad or nickel-metal hydride batteries. 

The cycling improvement for the Cu-metallized graphite over the pristine graphite was also observed by K. Guo et al. [15] in their study of electroless Cu deposited on graphite cycled in a lithium cell with a 20% PC blend electrolyte. Also, they recorded a rate capability improvement in their Cu graphite material as well. At a current density of 1.4 mA/cm2, the cell achieved about 60% ( 200 mAh/g) of the charge capacity measured at 0.14 mA/cm2, compared to about 30% ( 100 mAh/g) for the non-treated pristine natural graphite cell [15]. 

Fig. 13.49. Discharge capacity vs. cycle number for representative cells (at 20 °C) that were charged to 130 and 85% of their theoretical capacity. (Reprinted from J. M. Pope, T. Sotomura, and N. Oyama, Characterization and Performance of Organosulfur Cathodes for Secondary Lithium Cells Composites of Organosulfur, Conducting Polymer, and Copper Ion, in Batteries for Portable Applications and Electric Vehicles, C. F. Holmes and A. R. Landgrebe, eds., Electrochemical Society Proc. 97-18, p. 122, 1997. Reproduced by permission of The Electrochemical Society.)...

Rechargeable lithium cells are being developed to overcome difficulties observed in charging the lithium electrode or lithium-ion battery. These problems are caused by reaction between Li and electrolytic solutions, and by cell shorting due to Li dendrite growth. One way to solve these problems is to use a negative graphite-lithium electrode, and to intercalate Li into and de-Intercalate Li from the carbon host material ... 

N. Imanishi, H. Kashiwagi, T. Ichikawa, Y. Takeda, 0. Yamamoto, and M. Inagaki, Charge-discharge characteristics of mesophase-pitch-based carbon fibers for lithium cells, J. Electrochem. Soc., 140 [2], 315-320 (1993). 

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