This element serves as the active material in the battery’s electrodes, enabling the movement of ions to produce electrical energy. What metals makeup lithium batteries? Lithium batteries primarily consist of lithium, commonly paired with other metals such as cobalt, manganese, nickel, and iron in various combinations to form the cathode and anode.
Some elements, like lithium and nickel, can be used to make many types of batteries. Others like, vanadium and cadmium, are, as of today, only used in one type of battery each. And the vast majority of elements, like the noble gases, don’t have the right chemical properties or, like silver and gold, are just too expensive to use in batteries.
Inside practically every electric vehicle (EV) is a lithium-ion battery that depends on several key minerals that help power it. Some minerals make up intricate parts within the cell to ensure the flow of electrical current. Others protect it from accidental damage on the outside.
Lithium is a specialist chemical, not a standardised bulk commodity like copper or iron. The two commercial lithium compounds for EVs are high purity ‘battery grade’ lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH.H2O). The choice between them is usually determined by what type of lithium battery is going to be produced.
Other materials include steel in the casing that protects the cell from external damage, along with copper, used as the current collector for the anode. There are several types of lithium-ion batteries with different compositions of cathode minerals.
There are three classes of commercial cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries: (1) layered oxides, (2) spinel oxides and (3) oxoanion complexes. All of them were discovered by John Goodenough and his collaborators. LiCoO 2 was used in the first commercial lithium-ion battery made by Sony in 1991.