Nowadays, mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Many people will find that as they use it, their phone battery seems to be less and less durable, and the use time after each full charge is getting shorter and shorter. This phenomenon has aroused widespread concern and discussion. Why are mobile phone batteries becoming less and less durable?

The life decay mechanism of lithium batteries

At present, most of the batteries used in mobile phones on the market are lithium-ion batteries, which have the advantages of large capacity, small size, high voltage platform and long cycle life.

In fact, any kind of chemical energy battery has an attenuation process. In layman's terms, the energy of a battery can be understood by the concept of "number of active electrons". The higher the number of active electrons, the higher the battery energy, and vice versa, the lower the charge. This is also known as the size of the capacity.

The charging and discharging of the battery is to replenish and consume these active electrons. When a battery is used, active electrons flow from the cathode to the anode through an external load, such as the use of mobile phones. At this time, the load consumes the active electrons, which reduces the active electrons inside the battery. When charging, the charger replenishes the battery cathode with active electrons, restoring the number of active electrons of the battery, thereby restoring the energy of the battery.

It should be noted that the number of active electrons will gradually decrease in the process of such repetition. The reasons for this reduction include the aging of the battery poles, the oxidation and transformation of the cathode, and the aging and deterioration of the chemical medium. These changes range from the characteristics of the metal electrode itself to the damage caused by improper use. Lithium batteries of course also abide by this law.

Therefore, the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries is limited, and their performance will gradually decline with the increase of use. This life decay is mainly affected by the following factors:

• 1. The number of battery cycles

A battery cycle refers to the process by which the battery is discharged from a fully charged state to an empty state of less than 25%, and then charged to a state of full charge above 90%. As the number of cycles increases, there is a change inside the battery, resulting in a decrease in the capacity of the battery. This number of cycles, after the battery is manufactured, has a design life and cannot be changed.

• 2. Incorrect charging method

Incorrect charging methods can accelerate the degradation of battery life, such as:

⌛ Overcharge or overdischarge, when the lithium-ion battery is deeply charged and discharged, the structure of the positive and negative electrode materials may be damaged, which reduces the number of lithium ions, and then leads to a decrease in its capacity; Using low-quality charging cables and chargers, the current is unstable and can also cause damage to the battery.

It is especially recommended here that as long as there are conditions, resolutely use the original charger of the same brand as the mobile phone. Because both the battery and the charger have battery management components inside, the original charger (including the power bank) and the battery can effectively interact with each other, automatically complete the management and protection of each stage of the charging process, and give priority to ensuring battery life. The protection here includes the restorative charging process when the battery is too low, the automatic de-charging process when fully charged, and the automatic adjustment process for charging while the battery is in use. Charging equipment of the same brand can be understood as a language barrier due to the lack of effective communication with the battery, which greatly reduces the protection function of the battery.

⌛ Super-cold or over-hot charging environment: lithium batteries are extremely sensitive to temperature, and their normal working (discharge) temperature range is between 0 °C and 35 °C, whether it is high or low temperature, it has an impact on the work of lithium batteries, and the impact of high temperature on batteries is particularly significant. When charged at high temperatures, the chemical reactions inside the battery are more violent, generating more heat, causing the battery temperature to rise, which in turn damages the battery life.

Tips to extend battery life

After understanding the life decay mechanism of lithium batteries, we can take some measures to extend the life of mobile phone batteries, and the most important thing is "the correct use of chargers (power banks)".

• 1. Try to use the original brand charger and power bank

The charging process will effectively ensure the safety of the battery, and there will be no overcharge. The display of 100% full charge is just a display, in fact, whether you have a battery connected or not, the charger will not charge the battery again.

• 2. Do not run out of power and recharge

The lithium batteries used in modern smartphones do not have a "memory effect" and there is no need to wait until the battery is completely depleted before recharging. It is recommended to charge the battery in time when the battery level is below 25% to maintain the health of the battery.

• 3. Strictly use chargers with 3C certification

The original charger and charging cable have been rigorously tested and certified to ensure the stability of current and voltage and reduce battery damage. If you are forced to use a charger of the same brand, you must choose a charger with 3C certification. But try to use it in an emergency.

• 4. Avoid charging for a long time

If you are not using a charger of the same brand, do not connect your phone to the charger for a long time, especially at night. It is recommended to charge the phone at a specific time and unplug the charger in time when it is fully charged. A simple way to judge: after the mobile phone shows that it is fully charged, after a few minutes, touch the charger and return to room temperature, which can rest assured that it has stopped flushing. If there is still a high temperature, it means that there is no full charge shutdown function, unplug it as soon as possible.

• 5. Avoid charging at high temperatures or in environments where the temperature is lower than 4 degrees

In hot weather, try to avoid charging your phone in the sun or in a closed environment. You can choose to charge it in a cool, ventilated place and try to remove the phone case to help dissipate heat. Under low temperature conditions, it is difficult to charge or even stop charging due to the sluggishness of the chemical reaction.