190
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
via cathode. On average, a lithium battery can store 100–250 watt-hours/kilogram
which is more than twice of what nickel-cadmium can do. A small electric car
with 25 kilowatt-hour lithium battery can cover 175 km before recharge (Johnson
2009). Research and technological inputs since 1991, when lithium batteries were
commercially introduced, have tremendously improved the energy density of lithium
batteries by developing thin films (single-atom thick) to enclose positive electrode
coupled with a negative electrode of sulfur (like lithium, sulfur also has a very high
energy capacity). This has enabled a battery to hold about five times as much energy
by weight as compared to previous lithium batteries. Besides, car, lithium batteries
are being used for storing power generated through solar panels and windmills in the
USA, Australia, and South Africa.
Lithium, which was initially used to treat bipolar disorders, ceramic, and nuclear
weapon industry, has now emerged as the most essential component of all digital
devices. It is the lightest metal in the periodic table, heat-resistant, and is highly
reactive with three electrons in its atom of which two are tightly bound to its nucleus
but the third can be easily dislodged to form positively charged lithium ion. This
makes lithium inherently unstable, and therefore, instead of using lithium in its
metallic form experts opted for safer compounds containing lithium ions. The storage
ability of a lithium battery depends on its energy density, that is, the amount of
energy that can be stored for a given weight or volume. A typical lithium battery
can store 100–250 watt-hours/kilogram
26 and an electric car with 24 kilowatt-hour
lithium battery has an average range of 175 km. Improvement in energy density
by using a combination of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and graphite electrodes is
being experimented with. These and other properties make lithium more efficient
and valuable as compared to heavier batteries of the past made of lead, zinc, and
nickel-cadmium.
These extraordinary properties attracted many in 1970s to explore the possibility
of lithium battery as an alternative to petroleum. It was found that a battery with
lithium anode and titanium di-sulfide cathode worked well in providing electricity
and was rechargeable as well. In fact, Sony was the first company to use lithium ion
battery in consumer electronics in 1991. Subsequently, in 2004, another semiconductor called graphene was discovered that is extremely thin (single-atom thick and
can be used as a two-dimensional material), light, strong, and transparent. While it
gave hope to the electronic industry that was looking for small-sized rechargeable
cells, this device was not accepted as lithium was found to be highly inflammable.
During its life, a thin layer of lithium is deposited on the surface of electrodes which
is sloughed off by the continuous contraction and expansion of electrodes and is
replaced by another layer of lithium. This process eventually saps the battery of its
lithium ions. Being highly reactive element, overcharging, or manufacturing defects
in batteries make them prone to short circuiting, heating, and explosion. Subsequent
researches improved lithium ion batteries and revolutionized the electronic world.
The most common example is that of battery-operated torches that worked on small
incandescent bulb and disposable batteries. These have been largely replaced by
26 A nickel cadmium battery can store only half of this.
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
via cathode. On average, a lithium battery can store 100–250 watt-hours/kilogram
which is more than twice of what nickel-cadmium can do. A small electric car
with 25 kilowatt-hour lithium battery can cover 175 km before recharge (Johnson
2009). Research and technological inputs since 1991, when lithium batteries were
commercially introduced, have tremendously improved the energy density of lithium
batteries by developing thin films (single-atom thick) to enclose positive electrode
coupled with a negative electrode of sulfur (like lithium, sulfur also has a very high
energy capacity). This has enabled a battery to hold about five times as much energy
by weight as compared to previous lithium batteries. Besides, car, lithium batteries
are being used for storing power generated through solar panels and windmills in the
USA, Australia, and South Africa.
Lithium, which was initially used to treat bipolar disorders, ceramic, and nuclear
weapon industry, has now emerged as the most essential component of all digital
devices. It is the lightest metal in the periodic table, heat-resistant, and is highly
reactive with three electrons in its atom of which two are tightly bound to its nucleus
but the third can be easily dislodged to form positively charged lithium ion. This
makes lithium inherently unstable, and therefore, instead of using lithium in its
metallic form experts opted for safer compounds containing lithium ions. The storage
ability of a lithium battery depends on its energy density, that is, the amount of
energy that can be stored for a given weight or volume. A typical lithium battery
can store 100–250 watt-hours/kilogram
26 and an electric car with 24 kilowatt-hour
lithium battery has an average range of 175 km. Improvement in energy density
by using a combination of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and graphite electrodes is
being experimented with. These and other properties make lithium more efficient
and valuable as compared to heavier batteries of the past made of lead, zinc, and
nickel-cadmium.
These extraordinary properties attracted many in 1970s to explore the possibility
of lithium battery as an alternative to petroleum. It was found that a battery with
lithium anode and titanium di-sulfide cathode worked well in providing electricity
and was rechargeable as well. In fact, Sony was the first company to use lithium ion
battery in consumer electronics in 1991. Subsequently, in 2004, another semiconductor called graphene was discovered that is extremely thin (single-atom thick and
can be used as a two-dimensional material), light, strong, and transparent. While it
gave hope to the electronic industry that was looking for small-sized rechargeable
cells, this device was not accepted as lithium was found to be highly inflammable.
During its life, a thin layer of lithium is deposited on the surface of electrodes which
is sloughed off by the continuous contraction and expansion of electrodes and is
replaced by another layer of lithium. This process eventually saps the battery of its
lithium ions. Being highly reactive element, overcharging, or manufacturing defects
in batteries make them prone to short circuiting, heating, and explosion. Subsequent
researches improved lithium ion batteries and revolutionized the electronic world.
The most common example is that of battery-operated torches that worked on small
incandescent bulb and disposable batteries. These have been largely replaced by
26 A nickel cadmium battery can store only half of this.