A Review of Materials and Chemistry for Secondary Batteries

This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of secondary batteries. A secondary battery can effectively be reused many times after it is discharged by applying electrical power to the cell electrodes to bring about the reverse reaction. The first secondary (rechargeable) battery system was invented in 1859 by the French physicist Raymond Gaston Planté, for powering the lights in train carriages. Increasing the usage of lead–acid battery in energy storage results in an uninterrupted power supply which has led to the development of new specifications, designs, and innovations. After the development of the lead–acid battery, it took a whole generation before the second rechargeable battery, the Ni–Cd battery, became commercially available. In the secondary battery market, several new cells have been introduced just within the last two decades, for example, the Ni–metal hydride cell, Li–ion cell, rechargeable alkaline cells, Li–polymer, and also the concept of mechanically rechargeable Zn–air batteries.