Understanding Different Battery Chemistry

Inside a lithium-ion battery, an oxidation-reduction reaction takes place.

Reduction takes place at the cathode. There, cobalt oxide combines with lithium ions to form lithium cobalt oxide. The half-reaction is:

CoO2 + Li +e- → LiCoO2

Oxidation takes place at the anode. There, the graphite intercalation compound forms graphite and lithium ions. The half-reaction is:

LiC6→ C6 + Li + e-

Here is the complete reaction (left to right = discharging, right to left = charging):

LiC6 + CoO2 ⇄ C6 + LiCoO2

Name	Anode	Cathode	Electrolyte	Separator	Uses
LCO	Graphite	Lithium cobalt oxide	Ethylene carbonate	Polyolefin	Mobile phones, laptops, and digital cameras
LMO	Graphite	Lithium Manganese	Lithium Halide	Polyolefin	Electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and BMW i3, Power tools, medical devices, electric powertrains
NCA	Graphite	Nickel Cobalt Aluminium	Ethylene Carbonate	Polyolefin	Medical devices, Industrial, electric powertrain(Tesla)
NMC	Graphite	Nickel Manganese	Lithium Salt	Polyolefin	E-bikes, Medical devices, EVs, industrial UPS
LTO	Graphite	Lithium Titanium	Lithium Salt	Polyolefin	UPS, Electric powertrain (Mistubishi i-MiEV, Honda fit EV), solar-powered street lighting
LFP	Graphite	Lithium Phosphate	Ethylene Carbonate	Polyolefin	Portable and stationary needing high load currents and endurance

2. Difference between each type of Li +ion batteries

Lithium Cobalt Oxide has high specific energy as compared to the other batteries which makes it the preferred choice for laptops and mobile phones. It also has a low cost and a moderate performance. However, it is highly unfavorable in all the other aspects when compared to the other lithium-ion batteries. It has a low specific power, low safety, and a low lifespan.

Lithium Iron Phosphate only has one major disadvantage when compared to other types of lithium-ion batteries and that is its low specific energy. Other than that, it has moderate to high ratings in all the other characteristics. It has a high specific power, offers a high level of safety, has a high lifespan, and comes at a low cost. The performance of this battery is also moderate. It is often employed in electric motorcycles and other applications that require a long lifespan and a high level of safety.

Lithium Manganese Oxide has a moderate specific power, moderate specific energy, and a moderate level of safety when compared to the other types of lithium-ion batteries. It has the added advantage of a low cost. The downsides are its low performance and low lifespan. It is usually used in medical devices and power tools.

Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide offers one strong advantage as compared to the five other batteries and that is high specific energy. It is pretty moderate in the rest of the characteristics like performance, cost, specific power, and lifespan. The only downside to this battery type is its low level of safety. Its high specific energy and moderate lifespan make it a good candidate for electric powertrains.

Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide has two major advantages as compared to the other batteries. The first one is its high specific energy which makes it desirable in electric powertrains, electric vehicles, and electric bikes. The other is its low cost. It is moderate in terms of specific power, safety, lifespan, and performance when compared to the other lithium-ion batteries. It can be optimized to either have high specific power or high specific energy.