The material composition of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries is a testament to the elegance of chemistry in energy storage. With lithium, iron, and phosphate as its core constituents, LFP batteries have emerged as a compelling choice for a range of applications, from electric vehicles to renewable energy storage.
The most notable difference between lithium iron phosphate and lead acid is the fact that the lithium battery capacity shows only a small dependence on the discharge rate. With very high discharge rates, for instance 0.8C, the capacity of the lead acid battery is only 60% of the rated capacity.
There is no lithium metal, only lithium ions. This is a lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are the general term for using lithium-ion intercalation compounds as positive electrode materials. Lithium-ion batteries’ charging and discharging process is the intercalation and deintercalation process of lithium ions.
In LFP batteries, lithium ions are embedded within the crystal structure of iron phosphate. Iron (Fe): Iron is the transition metal that forms the "Fe" in LiFePO4. Iron phosphate, as a cathode material, provides a stable and robust platform for lithium ions to intercalate and de-intercalate during charge and discharge.
The effects of temperature on lithium iron phosphate batteries can be divided into the effects of high temperature and low temperature. Generally, LFP chemistry batteries are less susceptible to thermal runaway reactions like those that occur in lithium cobalt batteries; LFP batteries exhibit better performance at an elevated temperature.
Negative electrodes (anode, on discharge) made of petroleum coke were used in early lithium-ion batteries; later types used natural or synthetic graphite. Multiple lithium iron phosphate modules are wired in series and parallel to create a 2800 Ah 52 V battery module. Total battery capacity is 145.6 kWh.