Accumulators and Batteries
Accumulators and batteries come in many different types, which not only change in shape and size, but also in power and voltage.
You have to distinguish between accumulators and batteries. Accumulators are designed to recharge, batteries can only be used once. From the environmental point of view you should prefer accumulators batteries.
Batteries might be small in size, but they are far from simple. They are highly technical electrochemical cells. This chemical energy is converted into electrical energy through a chemical reaction. This process takes place between the three main components of the battery, the anode, cathode and electrolyte. Different types of batteries use different materials for these three components. The choice of these materials depends on the ability to take or give the electrons. This determines the capacity of the battery. The anode is a metal while the cathode is a metal oxide. The electrolyte is a saline solution which makes the flow of ions easier.
The zinc / carbon cell, is the cell best known to us. The anode consists of zinc and is also the casing, the cathode which is in the middle of the cell is made of carbon and the electrolyte is a paste consisting of a salt. This cell produces no great power, there is a leak danger, the battery is not resistant to high temperatures and has a short lifespan. So some disadvantages, but on the other hand, the cell is relatively inexpensive.
With alkaline battery the anode is made of powdered zinc, the cathode of alkaline manganese dioxide and the electrolyte is a resolve of potash hydroxide. The alkaline battery can deliver a power which is 10 times higher than that of zinc carbon cell, they have a longer lifespan, lower temperatures and are virtually leak free. But the downside is that they're expensive.
The lithium battery uses as cathode Lithium Manganese Dioxide. This battery exceeds the benefits of alkaline battery, but with a much lighter weight and a greater capacity to deliver. But this battery is comparatively very expensive.
The rechargeable batteries aka accumulators can be used repeatedly. This does not mean that accumulators have eternal life. With incorrect use the life is often drastically reduced. Therefore it is good for the life of the battery to be fully discharged and fully recharged. If a battery is left in the closet and charged once a year is fatal.
The best known accumulators is the Nickel-Cadmium accumulators. This has long been used in many portable devices such as tape recorders, cordless drills and stations. This is because the accumulators has a relatively large battery energy supplie at reasonable prices and no good alternative. We regulary see these batteries. Still, this battery holds a number of disadvantages. The clamping voltage isn't 1.5 volts, but 1.2 volts, forcing to put more batteries in series to get the correct tension. When incorrect charging and discharging these batteries for damage (memory effect) and the battery is very harmful to the environment.
The Nickel-Metal Hydride accumulator is the logical consequence of the Nickel-Cadmium accumulator. This is the Nickel-Cadmium batteries are increasingly replacing. The Nickel-Metal Hydride battery is environmentally friendly and has a lot lot longer. With this battery the memory effect does not occur. However, the Nickel-Metal Hydride also has a terminal voltage of 1.2 volts
Het memory effect
While using a battery, ion flux charges go from one electrode to another electrode. To compensate for this charge, electrons flow through the connected electronics outside the battery negative pole to the positive pole. Most people think that just the other way. For example this current is used as to make a battery drill work. Where a Nickel-Cadmium isn't fully discharged, it will slowly change used Cadmium where large domains or crystallites are formed. The result is that the altered portion of the electrode can contribute more difficult to discharge. The battery has more internal resistance and therefore provides less stress while still having to be far from empty. The device could then show that the battery is low, because the voltage that the device perceives lower. Flat, which can be long, it would solve your problem because you create a new start. Metal hydride and modern Li-ion batteries are hardly affected since chemical compounds in the electrode material can not completely change such as Nickel-Cadmium batteries. In Metal Hydride and Lithium-ion electrodes, the load-carrying ions in the electrode material recorded without the crystal structure and chemical change much.
Source: TU Delft
If you are replacing a battery you should choose the same type. Note the capacity, if you choose a higher capacity normally meets your charger anymore. The rule of thumb is that the charging current is 10% of battery capacity should be. So a 1500 mA battery charger has a current of 150 mA charger that can supply your needs.
We supply all types of batteries `s It is impossible to have all types on a web site. There are to many choices available . All you have to do is send us the type of the device and the type of the battery and we'll search what type you need in our extended database.
