What is a Lithium Battery?
Power. Durability. Lithium.
Wait, what? Why lithium? What is a lithium battery, and why is it included in what sounds like an ad for a heavy-duty pickup truck?
Because lithium chemistry is starting a technological revolution.
Opportunities that were inconceivable a generation ago are a reality today.
Unfortunately, we’re not talking about hoverboards.
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
But because of what lithium offers, entire industries are being reshaped.
Automotive. Cell Phones. The great outdoors.
If lithium were taken out of the equation, advances in Live Imaging and 360 sonar used in ice fishing electronics, among other industries, would collapse.
If you’ve wondered why lithium is all the rage, Norsk Lithium’s got some answers!
What is a Lithium Battery Made of?
Has it been a minute since you used the periodic table? Remember this chart from your high school science class?
Dust off your old chemistry books, or click around on livescience.com, and you’ll find that atoms are the universe’s building blocks. They are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
If you look at the top left corner of the periodic table, you’ll find Li. That’s our buddy lithium.
The number three means that lithium has three protons in its nucleus.
Lithium is the lightest known metal. It’s used for many different purposes. From manufacturing aircrafts to mood stabilizers to the battery that powers the fish finders you use while ice-fishing, lithium is remarkably beneficial.
Lithium batteries are made up of four key components. Cathode. Anode. Electrolyte. Separator. There are also positive and negative current collectors.
The engineers at Samsung explain how lithium ions are stored in the cathode. The size of the cathode determines the battery’s capacity and voltage.
A lithium battery generates electricity through the chemical reactions of lithium.
Here’s what happens when discharging and recharging lithium batteries.
“The anode and cathode store the lithium. The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separator.”
Image Credit: Metrohm AG
The movement of the lithium ions creates free electrons that feed your device. The opposite occurs when the lithium battery is charging: lithium ions are released by the cathode and received by the anode.
What is a Lithium Battery’s Extended Family?
There are several different types of lithium batteries and battery chemistries. Each provides unique benefits. But none is perfect.
Still, there are ideal chemistry compositions for particular applications.
Here are the most common forms of lithium chemistries.
- Lithium Ion Phosphate (LiFePO4)
- Lithium Titanate (LTO)
- Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2)
- Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO22)
- Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4)
- Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (LiNiCoAlO2)
- Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
For the outdoorsman, Li-ion and LiFePO4 are the best lithium chemistries.
LiFePO4 is remarkably potent. It provides deep-cycle power to keep high amp draw equipment running without issue.
Recently, Tesla switched to utilizing this chemistry to power their vehicles.
LiFePO4 is nearly impossible to beat when you need to power a device that moves you.
Like a car.
Golf Cart.
Or the trolling motor you need to scour every inch of the shoreline.
LiFePO4 has one drawback, however. Due to its chemical composition, it has a bit of a weight problem.
This is where Li-ion shines. Li-ion is the chemistry of choice when you need to move your batteries, like when you’re ice fishing.
Our most potent, heaviest Li-ion battery that provides 32 ah of capacity – weighs less than five pounds!
What is a Lithium Battery’s Advantage Over a Lead-Acid Battery?
The two most prominent players in the outdoor battery game are lithium and lead-acid.
Lead-Acid VS Lithium Ice Fishing Batteries: 5 Differences
Lead-acid has been the go-to battery choice for many years. These batteries start cars, run trolling motors, and more.
But lead-acid batteries have some significant limitations.
And they’re dumb. That is, not smart. They were not designed to power our favorite devices in the 21st century, where the world revolves around smart technology.
Lead is dead.
At this point, lead-acid batteries only have two seeming advantages over lithium batteries.
Both are only mirages, however.
First, they are more familiar. You can buy a new lead-acid battery at most stores. You probably have jumper cables in your trunk and may have a trickle charger in your garage.
Second, lead-acid batteries are cheaper than lithium batteries.
But only on the front end. Lithium batteries, as we’ll see, have a significantly longer lifespan than lead-acid batteries.
What is a Lithium Battery’s Depth of Discharge Compared to Lead-Acid?
Lead-acid batteries are not supposed to be discharged below 50%. If you use more, you risk permanently damaging the battery.
Norsk Lithium batteries are engineered to be discharged up to 100% capacity every time.
The first 10% of a lithium battery’s discharge will be just as potent as the last 10%.
Lead-acid batteries create that slow-motion sound you might remember your tape players making. It sounded silly when listening to a cassette tape in the 80s. But it’s no joke when your trolling motor’s battery slowly dies.
What is the Weight of Lithium Batteries Compared to Lead-Acid?
Hauling a lead-acid battery might as well be an Olympic competition. Norsk Lithium’s 100AH 12.8V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery weighs about 25 pounds.
The most comparable lead acid battery is a group 31 battery. It weighs nearly 80 pounds.
What is a Lithium Battery’s Runtime Compared to Lead-Acid?
There’s no way to determine precisely how long a battery will run without knowing how much energy is drawn from it.
Still, we’ve found that lithium batteries will power the same electronics for at least twice as long as lead-acid batteries.
What is a Lithium Battery’s Lifespan Compared to Lead-Acid?
Here’s where the cost catches up to lead-acid in a hurry. A typical lead-acid battery used to power a trolling motor won’t last more than three seasons.
Lithium batteries will run for thousands of cycles without degradation.
You didn’t invest in fish finding electronics, trolling motors, and more – to accept unreliable performance and shortened life spans from the batteries that power them.
Half the fun of fishing is getting ready for it!
You shouldn’t feel apprehensive when preparing for a weekend on the ice. Norsk Lithium solves that problem.
How Does A Lithium Battery Leverage Technology Compare to Lead-Acid?
A lead-acid battery can only power the device it’s connected to. And as we’ve seen, it does a lousy job at that!
Nork Lithium batteries continually push the limits of technology.
Our batteries come equipped with patent-pending dual USB ports.
That means you can power your aerators, cell phone, shanty lights, go-pros – and more – while fueling your fish finders.
We have also incorporated an LED power indicator so that you can see exactly how much juice your Norsk Lithium battery has left with the touch of a button.
What is a Lithium Battery From Norsk Lithium Still Doing on the Shelf?!
Lithium technology is revolutionizing the world. Norsk Lithium batteries provide you with the power you need to enjoy the outdoors fully.
With all that lithium technology offers, no one needs to be stuck depending on old, heavy, inefficient, and unreliable battery power.
Your time outdoors is too valuable to be squandered with a dead lead battery.
That’s why talking about lithium batteries can sound like talking about a heavy-duty pickup truck. Lithium provides the power, durability, and reliability needed to transform your outdoor experience.
Norsk Lithium eliminates the apprehension you used to feel, not knowing if your lead-acid batteries would deliver the power you need to get through a long day on the ice.
Haven’t you spent the last half of a day on the ice worrying that your lead-acid battery wouldn’t have enough power to get you through the day – only to have the lights go out, literally, right before the prime time walleye bite at sunset was just about to fire up?
We have. And it’s no fun.
Sure, you get to watch your buddies catch fish and bring minnows after each fish hits the ice, but we know, deep down inside, that’s an awful feeling.
From preparation to expedition, Norsk Lithium powers your passion with reliable energy so you won’t miss a moment of the adventure you crave.
Still, we understand that the jump to lithium technology can be intimidating for many. That’s why we offer warranties and customer service to give you peace of mind.
Shoot, you can reach out today and receive customer care without buying anything. We’re happy to help you process your next steps so you can maximize your time outdoors.
Don’t waste any more precious outdoor time. Let Norsk Lithium power your passion.