Lead Acid Battery Vs Lithium Ion Battery

In today’s energy storage field, lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries can be said to be the two ‘star’ products, they are widely used in all aspects of our lives, from the daily use of electric vehicles, to large-scale energy storage equipment, can see their figure. But what is the difference between these two types of batteries? Today, let’s take a deeper understanding.

Lead-acid batteries can be called ‘old’ batteries, its history can be traced back to the 1850s, is one of the first widely used rechargeable batteries. Its electrode material is mainly lead and its oxide, and the electrolyte is sulfuric acid solution. During the charging and discharging process, lead and sulphuric acid undergo a chemical reaction to achieve the mutual conversion of electrical energy and chemical energy. This battery technology is mature, relatively low cost, like a reliable ‘old mate’, in many areas play an important role.

Lithium battery is a ‘newcomer’, since the 1990s since the commercialisation of its excellent performance has risen rapidly. Its negative electrode is mainly composed of lithium metal or lithium alloy, positive electrode is composed of cobalt, nickel, manganese and other elements of the oxide, the electrolyte used is lithium salt solution. Lithium battery is like a dynamic ‘new noble’, with its unique material properties, for modern electronic equipment and electric vehicles and other fields has brought new opportunities for development.

Energy density is an important indicator of battery performance, which is directly related to how much energy the battery can store. Lithium batteries excel in this regard, with high energy density. Generally speaking, the energy density of lithium batteries can reach 100 – 260Wh/kg, which means that in the case of the same weight, lithium batteries are able to store more power. It is like a small lithium battery ‘suitcase’, but can hold more ‘energy luggage’ than the lead-acid battery ‘big box’.

In contrast, the energy density of lead-acid batteries is somewhat inferior, usually only 30 – 50Wh/kg. This makes the lead-acid batteries in the same weight, the storage of electrical energy is less, in the application of higher energy density requirements, may be a little ‘not enough’.

In this fast-paced era, charging speed is also a point of great concern. Lithium battery charging speed is usually faster, generally 1 – 2 hours can be full. This is due to the rapid movement of lithium ions inside the battery, like a group of agile ‘small athletes’, can quickly shuttle between the electrodes, so that the battery quickly replenish energy.

Lead-acid batteries, on the other hand, are relatively slow to recharge and typically take 6 – 12 hours or more to fully charge. This is because lead-acid batteries have a relatively slow chemical reaction, like an ‘old man’ who moves a little slower, and the charging process takes more time. In terms of discharge, lithium batteries also have the advantage of being able to output a larger current in a short period of time, to meet some of the higher power requirements of the equipment needs.

The service life of lithium batteries is usually longer than that of lead-acid batteries. Generally speaking, lithium batteries can be fully charged and discharged more than 500 – 1000 times, if used and maintained properly, can even reach a higher number of times. This is similar to a reliable car that can travel a long distance before needing an overhaul.

Lead-acid batteries, on the other hand, have a relatively short cycle life, usually around 300 – 500 cycles. As the number of times of charging and discharging increases, the performance of lead-acid batteries will gradually decline, just like an athlete who is gradually losing his physical strength, slowly losing his vitality. Moreover, if the lead-acid battery is over-discharged or improperly charged during use, it will further shorten its service life.

In today’s increasingly aware of environmental protection, the environmental performance of the battery can not be ignored. Lithium batteries in the production and use of the process of environmental impact is relatively small, is considered a more environmentally friendly battery. It does not contain heavy metals such as lead and other harmful substances, and the risk of pollution of soil and water after disposal is low. Moreover, the recycling technology of lithium batteries is constantly developing, and more and more lithium batteries can be effectively recycled to achieve the recycling of resources.

Lead-acid batteries contain toxic lead, which can cause serious pollution to the environment if not handled properly . In the production, use and recycling of lead-acid batteries, strict environmental protection measures are required to ensure that lead does not leak into the environment. Although the current recycling system of lead-acid batteries has been relatively perfect, there are still some illegal recycling and disposal, which brings potential threat to the environment.

In terms of cost, lead-acid batteries have certain advantages. Because of its mature technology, simple production process, low raw material costs, so the price of lead-acid batteries is relatively more affordable . For some consumers with limited budget, lead-acid batteries are an affordable choice.

Lithium batteries are usually more expensive than lead-acid batteries due to their high technology, complex production process and relatively high raw material costs . However, with the continuous progress of technology and large-scale production, the cost of lithium batteries is also gradually reduced, the future is expected to be more competitive in price.

Lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries have their own advantages and disadvantages. Lead-acid batteries have low cost and high safety, but low energy density and short life; lithium batteries have high energy density, fast charging and discharging speed and long life, but high cost and certain safety risks. When choosing batteries, we need to consider the specific application scenarios and needs. For example, for price-sensitive, low range requirements for daily commuting electric vehicles, lead-acid batteries may be a good choice; for the pursuit of high-performance, long range electric vehicles and high-end electronic equipment, lithium batteries are better able to meet the demand. We hope that through the introduction of this article, we can let you have a deeper understanding of lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries, and make a more appropriate choice in the future life.