Why Do We Need Polymer Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Why do we need polymer lithium-ion batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are widely used in the communication and electronics industries as high-efficiency energy carriers, especially for personal communication tools such as mobile phones and PDAs. They were first widely used in Japan after being commercialized in 1992. With the increasing popularity of mobile communication tools, lithium batteries have gradually been accepted by the majority of users due to their advantages of light weight, large capacity, and environmental friendliness.

However, in the past decade, with the rapid development of communication technology, innovations such as mobile phone color screens, MMS technology, Bluetooth, and cameras have emerged. These advancements place higher demands on the capacity, volume, weight, and electrochemical performance of batteries. Traditional liquid lithium batteries have increasingly struggled to meet these new demands. The emergence of a new polymer lithium-ion battery (Li-Polymer) caters to these needs. Polymer lithium batteries are a third-generation lithium-ion battery developed based on the original steel and aluminum shell batteries. They are lighter, thinner, and have higher energy density. Consequently, they have been accepted by both domestic and international communication terminal manufacturers and design companies.

The fundamental difference between polymer lithium-ion batteries and liquid lithium-ion batteries lies in their electrolytes. The electrolyte of a lithium polymer battery is solid and is known as a polymer solid electrolyte. This type of electrolyte is a polymer material that is in a solid state but dissolves the supporting electrolyte like a liquid and allows ion migration. In contrast, liquid lithium batteries, as the name suggests, use liquid electrolytes. Due to the fluidity of liquids, changes in external environmental factors, such as high temperatures, have a greater impact on liquid lithium-ion batteries compared to polymer lithium-ion batteries.