The heavy metals in these conventional batteries are costly and pose environmental risks. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, in contrast, are environmentally benign, safer to manufacture and operate, and use less expensive raw materials. Material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries was developed at Sandia from an affordable chemical, used to create fibers for such products as socks and carpets, called polyacrylonitrile. This polymer is charred through a patent-applied method to create a carbon matrix. Impregnated with lithium ions, the carbon serves as a negative electrode where electrons are generated in a battery.
Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy.
The commercialization exploited Cold War research in which carbon structures with specifically engineered properties were produced in the laboratory. Lithium-ion batteries will also be useful in aerospace applications such as communications, weather and defense satellites by saving precious launch weight. For Sandia, the batteries are desired for powering equipment used for long-term monitoring of the weapons stockpile, and nonproliferation applications. Rechargeable lithium batteries are the first new commercially available battery technology in decades. Japanese-produced lithium batteries are already present in some consumer products, such as computers, camcorders and cellular phones.