Miniature lithium-ion batteries from Nichicon

The Japanese giant launches an offer of compact energy sources.

The Nichicon brand is known worldwide as a manufacturer of high-quality capacitors. However, their product range is expanding. This also applies to products available for purchase at TME. Today we are pleased to present the latest addition to our range. These are SLB series, miniature lithium-ion batteries from Nichicon.

Li-ion technology – from watches to cars

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are manufactured in a wide range of sizes, capacities, and shapes. They have gained popularity primarily due to their relatively low weight, high density (volume to capacity ratio) of stored energy and longevity. They are used not only in consumer devices (laptops, cameras, etc.) but also in the automotive industry. Lithium-ion batteries have their limitations, e.g. with regard to temperature, storage conditions as well as limited cycle life, but along with lithium polymer cells they are the most popular solution in the field of rechargeable energy sources.

The most common li-ion battery format is 18650. In other words, a cylinder 18 mm in diameter and 65 mm high. These battery packs are used in, e.g., power tools and electric bicycles. Since the design of the electrodes is based on tightly wound strips of material coated with i.e. carbon and lithium salts, other battery shapes/sizes are possible. They can be much smaller; offer increased safety with also increased cycle life in order to adapt to the requirements of modern equipment, e.g., energy-saving Bluetooth devices, remote sensors, IoT devices etc.

Nichicon batteries

The shape of the SLB series resemble capacitors (including terminals adapted for THT mounting). They also have a compact size. The table below lists the specifications of these products, detailing their currently available sizes. The charge/discharge rate of the cells draws special attention. This rate is 20C (20 x  C rate), which means a charge or discharge rate of up to 20 times the battery capacity divided by one hour – and therefore the SLB series can be charged literally in a few minutes. Due to the lower specific energy, these batteries are characterised by a nominal voltage of 2.4 V DC

In addition to the mentioned parameters, the SLB series has a temperature range  from -30°C to 60°C  – which allows them to be charged at very low temperature. The manufacturer emphasises that its new offering is primarily aimed at the growing  segment of miniaturised IoT devices – although the batteries can also  be used for RTC and memory backup.  In the era of the development of energy-saving systems, which today also include microcontrollers, the presented Nichicon solutions are a real alternative to larger power sources, also in  wirelessly charged systems.

Furthermore: the manufacturer points out that its products are designed to minimise the risk of spontaneous combustion or explosion. This applies to all rechargeable cells. Nichicon manufactures its systems in such a way as to minimise the likelihood of similar incidents – even if the cells are intentionally damaged.

For detailed product information, check out the technical documentation available in the TME catalogue. We kindly encourage you to read on.

The original source of text: www.tme.eu