Lithium metal battery
non-rechargeable battery using lithium metal as anode
Lithium metal batteries are nonrechargeable primary batteries that have metallic lithium as an anode. The name refers to the metal to distinguish them from rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which use lithiated metal oxides as the cathode material. Although most lithium metal batteries are non-rechargeable, rechargeable lithium metal batteries are also under development. Since 2007, Dangerous Goods Regulations differentiate between lithium metal batteries (UN 3090) and lithium-ion batteries (UN 3480).
They stand apart from other batteries in their high charge density and high cost per unit. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V (comparable to a zinc–carbon or alkaline battery) to about 3.7 V.
Disposable primary lithium batteries must be distinguished from secondary lithium-ion or a lithium-polymer, which are rechargeable batteries and contain no metallic lithium. Lithium metal batteries, by contrast, are defined by the use of metallic lithium as the anode. Pure lithium will instantly react with water, or even moisture in the air; the lithium in lithium-ion batteries is a less reactive compound.
Lithium batteries are widely used in portable consumer electronic devices. The term "lithium battery" refers to a family of different lithium-metal chemistries, comprising many types of cathodes and electrolytes but all with metallic lithium as the anode.
The public source identifies “Lithium metal battery” as non-rechargeable battery using lithium metal as anode. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Lithium, metal and battery.
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This entry incorporates text from “Lithium metal battery” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.