What are the most common types of batteries?

An electric battery is essentially a source of DC electrical energy. It converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy through an electrochemical process. This then provides a source of electromotive force to enable currents to flow in electric and electronic circuits. A typical battery consists of one or more voltaic cells. 

Batteries are made of an extensive range of materials resulting in different capabilities and behaviors in the functionality of the battery. The most common ones are lead, nickel, and lithium, each of them with different outputs and specific for some different purposes depending on the requirements.

Rechargeable batteries, also known as secondary cells, are batteries that can be recharged by driving electric current in the opposite direction of the discharge current. They must usually be charged before first use. Secondary batteries are (re)charged by applying electric current, which reverses the chemical reactions that occur during discharge/use. Devices to supply the appropriate current are called chargers. The oldest form of rechargeable battery is the lead–acid battery, which is widely used in automotive and boating applications.

Primary cells have better energy storage capacity, but secondary cells have better power output capabilities compared to primary cells and are used for high-power applications. Rechargeablebatteries are often more expensive, but in high-drain applications, they offer greater value as they can be reused. In low-drain applications, the service life is more important, and the self-discharge characteristics of a rechargeable battery mean that they are less suitable for use as the primary energy source.

Four Main Types of Electric Batteries

Rechargeable Batteries:

• Lithium-ion Battery. A lithium-ion battery, also known as a Li-ion battery, is a type of secondary (rechargeable) battery composed of cells in which lithium ions move from the anode through an electrolyte to the cathode during discharge and back when charging. Li-ion batteries, in general, have a high energy density, no memory effect, and low self-discharge. One of the most common types of cells is the 18650 battery, which is used in many laptop computer batteries, cordless power tools, certain electric cars, electric kick scooters, most e-bikes, portable power banks, and LED flashlights. The nominal voltage is 3.7 V.
• NiMH Battery. A nickel-metal hydride battery, NiMH, is a rechargeable battery with a positive electrode made of nickel hydroxide and a negative electrode made of a metal hydride (a hydrogen-absorbing alloy). The NiMH battery was commercially introduced in 1989 and was mainly used as a power source in portable personal computers. Since then, the NiMH battery system has become very popular in electric hybrid vehicles and makes up 10% of the total market for rechargeable batteries. Compared to the NiCd battery, the NiMH provides 40 percent higher specific energy resulting in about two times higher capacity. NiMH batteries are also less affected by the memory effect.
• Lead-acid Battery. Lead-acid batteries contain liquid electrolyte in an unsealed container, requiring that the battery be kept upright and the area be well ventilated to ensure safe dispersal of the hydrogen gas it produces during overcharging. The lead–acid battery is relatively heavy for the amount of electrical energy it can supply. Its low manufacturing cost and its high surge current levels make it common where its capacity (over approximately 10 Ah) is more important than weight and handling issues. A common application is the modern car battery, which can, in general, deliver a peak current of 450 amperes.

Non-rechargeable Batteries:

• Alkaline batteries (Zink/alkaline/Manganese Dioxide). An alkaline battery (IEC code: L) is a type of primary battery that provides direct electric current from the electrochemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide (MnO₂) in the presence of an alkaline electrolyte. The alkaline battery gets its name because it has an alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide (KOH) instead of the acidic ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) or zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) electrolyte of the zinc–carbon batteries. Other battery systems also use alkaline electrolytes, but they use different active materials for the electrodes. The alkaline cell was introduced to the market in 1959 but did not become more common than the Zinc-carbon cell until around 1980.

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Other Types of Batteries

The following list is a summary of notable electric battery types composed of one or more electrochemical cells. Four lists are provided in the table. The first list is a battery classification by size and format. Then, the primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) cell lists are lists of battery chemistry. The third list is a list of battery applications. The final list is a list of different battery voltages.