Three inventors
In the 1970s Stanley Whittingham demonstrated the principle of a lithium battery. In 1980 John Goodenough found a better cathode made of cobalt oxide. In 1985 Akira Yoshino turned it into a safe cell with a carbon anode. Goodenough received the Nobel Prize at 97.
Looking after it
- Heat and sitting at 100 % for long periods hurt it most. Many phones can stop charging at 80 %.
- Deep discharge to zero is not good for it either.
- A swollen battery is dangerous. Stop using it and have it replaced.
The future
LFP batteries are cheaper and more durable, so they go into cars and home storage. Sodium and solid-state batteries are in development. In Slovakia, the company InoBat focuses on battery production.