The most common cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries include lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP), and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO2 or NMC). Each of these materials offers varying levels of energy density, thermal stability, and cost-effectiveness.
Both electrodes in a lithium-ion cell are made of materials which can intercalate or ‘absorb’ lithium ions (a bit like the hydride ions in the NiMH batteries). Intercalation is when charged ions of an element can be ‘held’ inside the structure of a host material without significantly disturbing it.
The main ingredient in lithium batteries is, unsurprisingly, lithium. 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?
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.
Though “ lithium-ion battery ” is typically used as a general, all-encompassing term, there are actually at least a dozen different lithium-based chemistries that make up these rechargeable batteries. However, material handling equipment is typically powered by either lithium iron phosphate or lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide chemistries.
In terms of the material used for the cathode, there are quite a few variations—generally made of a combination of lithium, oxygen, and some kind of metal. The most common lithium-ion cells have an anode of carbon (C) and a cathode of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2).
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Generally, the negative electrode of a conventional lithium-ion cell is graphite made from carbon. The positive electrode is typically a metal oxide or phosphate. The electrolyte is a lithium salt in an organic solvent. The negative electrode (which is the anode when the cell is discharging) and the positive electrode (which is the cathode when discharging) are prevented from shorting by a separator. The el…