You might have heard that lithium-ion batteries need to be stored at suitable temperatures when they’re been transported and stored, and failing to acknowledge this fact can lead to you ruining the quality of the batteries. There are three reasons why low temperature plays such a pivotal role in the performance of your batteries, which we hope will showcase why it’s so important to consider how and where you store them.
Discharge Capacity
Within the positive electrode, the activity of lithium ions decreases in lower temperatures. This is because the cold temperatures impact the resistance of the electrolyte and reduce the rate of transfer of the lithium ions within. Ultimately, this reduces the amount of available energy that the battery produces. If you store your lithium ion batteries at particularly low temperatures, you may experience a loss of up to 80% of your battery’s capacity as a result of its discharge capacity.
Chemical Reaction Rate
The intercalation of lithium ions on the graphite electrode and the lithium plating reaction occur at the same time when the external temperatures are particularly low. As temperatures lower, the intercalation rate and the conductivity of the electrolyte within the battery decrease. What does this mean? Well, ultimately, the overall power output of the battery reduces, which affects the battery’s performance. As such, it’s important to store your lithium ion batteries where it is not too cold.
Battery Resistance
Another factor that affects the performance of your battery is that the lower the temperatures, the higher the viscosity of the electrolyte. This negatively impacts the movement of the lithium ions within the cell and means that your battery struggles to operate optimally. This loss of optimal performance is predominantly felt as a loss of power output, as your battery will be used to generate heat in order to reduce the resistance of the battery.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that the performance of lithium ion batteries is severely hampered when temperatures drop. Leaving your batteries in an environment that is far from conducive will limit the battery’s capacity and may even cause permanent, irreversible damage to it. As such, we’d advise you not to use batteries within a cold environment, unless you’re using a specifically designed low-temperature resistant battery.
