This article will detail the comparison of lead acid battery and lithium ion battery. These batteries are the most popular nowadays, and it has become an irreversible trend to replace lead-acid batteries with the best lithium batteries. We'll provide you with a comparative analysis of lead acid vs. lithium ion battery, from which you'll get detailed information on how each battery works, cost, cycle life, and more. I believe that after reading this article, you will choose the most suitable battery for your application according to your own characteristics.

What is lead-acid battery?

Lead-acid batteries belong to the category of rechargeable batteries. The key elements of lead-acid batteries are lead sulfate, metallic lead, sulfuric acid, and lead dioxide. The metallic lead primarily contributes to the formation of battery anodes that contain traces of tin, calcium and antimony. On the other hand, lead oxide (a different composition) leads to the formation of the cathode.

What is lithium ion battery?

Lithium-ion batteries belong to the category of rechargeable batteries, and the 4680 battery chemistry is one of them. They contain an overcurrent (MOS transistor) and voltage (IC) protection circuit board.

The main components of lithium-ion batteries include:

Electrodes: Refers to the anode and cathode of a battery cell.

Electrolyte: Can be a gel or liquid, conductive

Separator: Refers to a polymer film with sufficient porosity. It facilitates the exchange of lithium ions from one end to the other.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using lead-acid batteries?

Advantages of lead-acid batteries,

Lead-acid batteries are relatively inexpensive because their raw materials are readily available lead and lead compounds. But because of this, lead-acid batteries pollute the environment seriously. In addition, although the initial cost is relatively low, the overall cost of lead-acid batteries is higher than that of lithium-ion batteries in the long run due to their shorter lifespan and the need for regular maintenance;

The lead-acid battery has good temperature performance and can work in the environment of negative 40~60℃. However, when comparing lead-acid to lithium-ion, the former is still slightly inferior. The lithium-ion battery has a wider operating temperature range and can work efficiently in the temperature range of -20~60℃;

Lead-acid batteries have a high recycling value because the plate composition is a lead-based alloy, most of which is lead or some lead oxide. However, waste lithium-ion batteries have stronger recycling value because of the large amount of precious metals in their positive electrodes, positive electrodes, separators, electrolytes and other materials.

Disadvantages of lead-acid batteries

Lead is generally heavier than alternative elements, which puts lead batteries at a disadvantage in the lead-acid to lithium-ion weight comparison;

In the comparison of lead-acid and lithium-ion in terms of energy density, the energy density of lead-acid batteries is lower;

Not environmentally friendly, lead-acid battery leakage will lead to corrosion of battery terminals, and even risk of thermal runaway;

slow charging, i.e. a minimum of 13 to 14 hours;

Lead-acid batteries have a short service life and can only be used for 1-1.5 years at the longest;

Frequent routine maintenance is required.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries?

Advantage of lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have high energy density, about 460-600Wh/kg, so under the same battery capacity, lithium-ion batteries will be smaller and lighter than other batteries;
Low self-discharge rate is another advantage of lithium-ion batteries. The monthly self-discharge rate is as low as 3.5%;
Fast charging is where Li-Ion batteries differ from other rechargeable batteries.
These batteries are maintenance-free and require no special maintenance work, which saves maintenance costs and makes them more cost-effective;
Lithium-ion batteries have larger capacities and higher operating voltages than other batteries. For example, the voltage of ternary lithium battery is 3.7v, which is three times that of nickel-cadmium battery and nickel-metal hydride battery;
Lithium-ion batteries have a strong charge retention capability, a wider operating temperature range than other batteries, and can work normally with high efficiency between -20-60°C.

Disadvantages of lead-acid batteries

These batteries have a higher initial cost, but are more cost-effective in the long run due to their long cycle life and maintenance-free nature;
It helps if you protect your Li-Ion battery from full discharge and overcharging. This affects battery performance in the long run;
In actual use, lithium-ion batteries can be overcharged due to mismanagement, resulting in thermal runaway. Nonetheless, thermal runaway can be addressed with a Li-Ion battery BMS, which can be used for thermal management and thermal protection.

How do lithium batteries work?

When you start using a lithium-ion battery, it works: positively charged ions move from the anode to the cathode. This results in the deposition of positive charges on the cathode. As a result, it pulls out negatively charged electrons. The separators within the battery contain electrolytes, which lead to the formation of catalysts. Its role is to carry out the rapid movement of ions in the electrolyte. This movement makes the electrons move and run the equipment you need. During recharging, the ions follow the same process but in the opposite direction.

How do lead-acid batteries work?

During discharge, lead on the negative plate reacts with sulfuric acid and lead ions. This process generates free electrons on the negative plate. The negative plate pushes these electrons to an external circuit that powers your specific device or devices. The hydrogen ions in the sulfuric acid react with lead oxide on the positive plate. It separates oxygen from lead oxide and forms hydroxyl ions, which then react with hydrogen to form water. Finally, lead ions from the lead oxide plates and lead plates react with sulfates produced by sulfuric acid. This will lead to the formation of lead sulfate. This movement helps the charging process when reversed.