Lithium primary batteries history

While the development of primary cells with a lithium anode has been crowned by relatively fast success and such cells have filled their secure rank as power sources for portable devices for public and special purposes, the history of development of lithium rechargeable batteries was full of drama. Generally, the chemistry of secondary batteries in aprotic electrolytes is very close to the chemistry of primary ones. The same processes occur under discharge in both types of batteries anodic dissolution of lithium on the negative electrode and cathodic lithium insertion into the crystalline lattice of the positive electrode material. Electrode processes must occur in the reverse direction under charge of the secondary battery with a negative electrode of metallic lithium. Already at the end of the 1970s, positive electrode materials were found, on which cathodic insertion and anodic extraction of lithium occur practically reversibly. Examples of such compounds are titanium and molybdenum disulfides. 

History of Primary Lithium-Based Batteries and Their Performance Parameters... 

From the first pacemaker implant in 1958 by Dr Ake Senning surgeon at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, numerous engineering developments have faced challenges in battery power. In 1972, a primary lithium-iodine battery replacing the mercury-zinc cells greatly extended the cardiac pacemaker life (about 10 years). More details on the history of this battery can be found in ref. 

The history of the development of the li-ion battery is similar. Attempts to develop a rechargeable battery based on metallic lithium failed, but a totally new concept was introduced sometime in the mid-1980s (cf Section 20.3.4). This is still a very active field of R D, aiming at improving the performance and reducing the price, but the first commercial li-ion batteries were introduced just a few years after it had been invented, and within a decade this too became a multibillion product world wide. Thus the vicious circle argument used to explain the lack of success of fuel cells applies equally well to primary and rechargeable li batteries, but did not prevent their commercial success. 

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