HOW THINGS WORK · Why do lithium batteries deteriorate?

Every time a lithium battery is charged or discharged, lithium ions move from one electrode to the next. The motion changes the pattern in the electrodes slightly every time, preventing the flow from being free.

CHARGE AND USAGE MOVE LITHIUM IONS

When a lithium battery is 1 charged, positively charged lithium ions from the cathode move towards the negatively charged anode – and vice versa when power is consumed.

LITHIUM STRUCTURE IS BROKEN DOWN

The cathode consists 2 of a crystal structure including a cavity, in which the lithium ions are located. When an ion returns, it does not strike the same spot, shifting the entire structure and making the cathode less efficient at absorbing ions.

ANODE SLOWLY CORRODES

The lithium ions 3 travel through a liquid known as the electrolyte. Some of the ions steal electrons from the substances in the liquid, settling on the anode surface as a type of corrosion that blocks out the lithium ions.