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Plain lithium batteries (non-rechargeable) are cheaper and have higher capacity than lithium ion. Other factors are basically similar. I think the only reason t
by gh02t 9y ago
Plain lithium batteries (non-rechargeable) are cheaper and have higher capacity than lithium ion. Other factors are basically similar. I think the only reason to use lithium ion when you don't care about recharging is if you have a lot of extras, say manufacturing rejects or have some serious economies of scale going on.
- wlesieutre 9y agoDisposable lithium batteries (lithium iron disulfide) can hold a charge for 20 years in storage and have a greater temperature tolerance compared to alkaline. They're ideal for uses like an emergency flashlight that you leave in the glove compartment. They're also 1.5v which makes them suitable as a replacement in for alkaine AA/AAA batteries. Lithium ion is 3.7v so it only works in devices made for it.
- LeifCarrotson 9y agoThey're also lower weight, which makes the fact that they have higher total power and peak current even more impressive. They're ideal for not just emergency flashlights because of their longer storage time, but also for anything where you care about weight and power like a backpacking headlamp or bike light. It's just amazing chemistry. It surprises me that alkaline batteries are holding on as well as they are. If something with the performance difference between alkaline and lithium ion disulfide came along for rechargeable lithium ion cells, every manufacturer would be on it just as fast as they could possibly pivot their supply chains. I guess people just don't care about primary cells as much.
- benlorenzetti 9y agoHi I worked for a short time at Duracell. I do not know why they were ultimately rejected, but all of the consumer battery companies were researching lithium cells decades ago. I suspect it is some combination safety, environmental, and cost concerns of Lithium vs Manganese. The alkaline manganse cells still have very impressive lifetimes and energy density. The chemistry is amazingly suited for one off cells. It could also be there is just not a lot of market pressure. If a manganese alkaline cell last a bit more than ten years, are you going to be upset with Duracell ten years later when you have no idea how much it has been utilized?
- Dylan16807 9y agoRejected? They're in just about every grocery store at twice the price. But you have to be drawing a pretty high current before they last twice as long.
- benlorenzetti 9y agoRejected for replacing alkaline cells for AA, AAA, C, D, etc. Also I need to make a correction the comparison is between zinc and lithium, not manganese. I often read that lithium cells suffer from volume changes during use but do not know if this affects lithium primary cells. The alkaline cells virtually never leak.
- Dylan16807 9y agoThey replaced a significant fraction of the AA, AAA, C, D cells. But the alkalines are cheaper and on the same shelf.
- benlorenzetti 9y agoRejected for bulk replacement then