The Evolution of the Battery

What is a battery?

Mobile power has always been a fascination within the Human race. The devices we use today would not be possible if not for the evolution of the battery. Batteries are complex storage devices made up of a negative electrode, an electrolyte, and a positive electrode. Electric cells produce electricity from this chemical result. Batteries are amazing and extremely powerful but at the same time monstrously dangerous. They power our mobile devices, our vehicles, our remote controls, and even a laser light. Batteries are wonderful but accidents can happen. The first ten years a battery is on the market is a troubling time because this is the gap needed to know if the battery maker got it right or got it wrong. The first generations of batteries don’t always create a problem right away. The lab results might look fine and everything might appear to work correctly but when the technology is introduced into the general public things can behave slightly different. This means awful effects can happen and causes severe issues. When Sony invented the lithium-ion, battery in 1991 it caused several small explosions and fires, which resulted in loss of consumer confidence and a massive recall. The engineers claimed their design was sound unfortunately with rising cost, pressure to improve power, and trying to extend life beyond the limitations of the battery was the reasons it botched.

Metals and their voltage

Batteries can contain different metals and each metal will produce different voltages. In addition, each metal draws a different number of attracted electrons.

Metal... Attracted Electrons....Voltage

    Zinc________1.6_________-0 .76
    Lead_______1.9_________ -0.13
    Tin________1.8_________ -1.07
    Iron________1.8_________-0.04
    Copper_____1.9_________0.159
    Silver______1.9_________1.98
    Gold_______2.4_________1.83
    Carbon_____2.5_________0.13

The Battery Timeline

A timeline for the battery’s history is important because it shows us how our understanding has progressed. Electricity was discovered in the last 400 years but was this the first time it was used by Humans? The answer is simple, no. The convenient use of electricity has only been around since the late 1800’s but the Egyptians used electricity over 4,300 years ago. The Parthian battery was believed to create 2 volts when vinegar was used. Alessandro Volta brought the first practical use of electricity to our attention. He invented the “electric pistol” which was a glass container and in the position of the trigger were two small brass orbs. Linked to each of the orbs was a copper wire. The longer of the two ended in a spiraling of gold foil. Harnessing electricity is complex and dangerous but how would we live without it. The timeline begins with our first entry.

The Parthian Battery – 250 BC

Benjamin Franklin was the first to coin the term “battery” which explained charged glass plates - 1748

Luigi Galvani has a remarkable discovery of how frog legs react to voltage - 1786

Alessandro Volta was the inventor of the voltaic cell and discovered a realistic system of generating electricity - 1800

William Cruickshank introduced mass production of the electric battery to the public – 1802

Michael Faraday showed how a copper disc produced a steady stream of electricity when it was spinning around a strong magnetic field - 1833

Gaston Planté produced the first rechargeable lead acid battery. This type of battery is used today – 1859

J.A. Thiebaut patented a battery that contained both a negative electrode and absorbent container and positioned in a zinc cup – 1881


Waldmar Jungner took a different look at how the battery is made and came up with a nickel-cadmium battery [NiCd] that used nickel as the positive and cadmium as the negative – 1899

Thomas A. Edison invented the nickel-iron battery – 1901

Lew Urry (Eveready Battery) was the inventor of the alkaline-manganese battery – 1949

Samuel Ruben was an independent inventor who developed the zinc-mercuric oxide alkaline battery, which became Duracell. Mercury has been eliminated due to environmental reason - 1950

Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin invented a radically new battery. The solar battery converts our sun’s energy into electricity. Several strips of silicon were placed to capture the sunlight - 1954

Waldmar Jungner developed miniature silver-oxide batteries or commonly known as “button batteries”. These batteries are in hearing-aides, watches, and in your computer - 1960

Duracell corporation is formed - 1964

Sony Corporation commercialized the lithium-ion battery – 1991

Bellcore commercialized the lithium-ion polymer – 1994

University of Texas Identified Li-phosphate (LiFePO4) - 1996

University of Montreal, Quebec Hydro, MIT, and others made improvements of Li-phosphate and nanotechnology – 2002

The Future of Batteries

We are on the brink of new and exciting battery technologies. These new technologies are going to power our ever-draining devices. The future looks bright with companies working on more powerful, lighter, and smaller batteries. MIT is working on powerful lithium-air batteries. Of course, each individual has their own opinions about what type of electrode materials to use. Carbon nanotubes to produce electricity are being developed by MIT as well. This new phenomenon discharges powerful waves of electricity under certain conditions. Stanford University has a team that will take nanotechnology to the next step. Nanotechnology will light up batteries and your clothing. Yi Cui is creating paper batteries and fabrics that carry out energy. The Imperial College in London has devices that create their own power. This advancement boggles the brain but someday the power needed for your device might not need anything but the device itself. Takara Tomy has an interesting prototype toy car that runs on something kids love, sugar. This would be a completely new way to look at batteries. If you think that was amazing then you might think this is awesome. Batteries that run on dirt and bacteria, yes biofuel. Since the planet has an abundant amount of organisms. MFC’s (microbial fuel cell) run on bacteria and other microbes that have been researched by scientist for decades. The improvement of lithium-ion has been devised by CRIEPI (Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry) in Japan. Ionic fluid electrolyte will improve lithium-ion batteries. This new type of battery will be nonflammable and nonvolatile. On the downside, they are deficient in the electrochemical permanence for the decline potential of lithium. Have a great day knowing a little bit more about batteries and their evolution.