For large-scale energy storage, the team is working on a liquid metal battery, in which the electrolyte, anode, and cathode are liquid. For portable applications, they are developing a thin-film polymer battery with a flexible electrolyte made of nonflammable gel.
Lithium-ion batteries are the fastest-growing type of rechargeables; there are probably lithium-ion batteries in your cellphone, MP3 player, and laptop computer. What's so good about lithium? It's a lightweight metal that easily forms ions, so it's excellent for making batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries, found in most modern electronics, use a liquid electrolyte composed of lithium salts dissolved in a solvent, such as ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate. This electrolyte enables the movement of lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes during charging and discharging cycles.
The lead-acid cells in automobile batteries are wet cells. Figure 3: A lead-acid battery in an automobile. In dry cell batteries, no free liquid is present. Instead the electrolyte is a paste, just moist enough to allow current flow. This allows the dry cell battery to be operated in any position without worrying about spilling its contents.
Many types of batteries employ toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium as an electrode or electrolyte. When each battery reaches end of life it must be disposed of to prevent environmental damage. [ 72 ] Batteries are one form of electronic waste (e-waste).
These are the most common batteries, the ones with the familiar cylindrical shape. There are no batteries that actually store electrical energy; all batteries store energy in some other form.