There are three key factors for the future development of lithium-ion batteries: high safety, high energy density, and low cost.
1. Existing technologies developed to improve security
Solid electrolyte coated separator technology
It is basically a derivative technology and one of the core technologies of semi-solid-state batteries. It is one of the core technologies that will distinguish semi-solid-state batteries from traditional battery factories in the future. At present, semi-solid batteries can solve the safety problem of high-nickel materials at high voltages, and the technology of solid electrolyte-coated separators can improve the safety of high-energy-density batteries.
Flame retardant electrolyte addition technology
Relatively mature, small-scale enterprises or later entrepreneurs will find it difficult to succeed if they do not have very reliable patents to protect their products.
2. Existing technologies developed to increase energy density
Lithium metal battery technology
Lithium metal battery technology has always been the ultimate technology in the field of lithium batteries. The most critical issue in using lithium metal as the negative electrode is not the manufacturing technology but how to solve the controllable deposition of metallic lithium (when it is not controllable, lithium metal is prone to produce dendrites that pierce the separator and consume the battery. Electrolyte), in a sense, from graphite to silicon series to metallic lithium to no negative electrode, it is a gradual evolution of lithium metal battery technology. We gradually use less negative electrodes to increase the energy density of the battery. Among them, CATL has many years of accumulation in manufacturing technology related to lithium metal battery technology. This technology is currently used in negative electrode lithium replenishment.
High nickel lithium battery technology
The advanced version of high nickel, the gradual development of NCM and NCA.
Silicon Carbon/Oxygen Technology
Key technologies to improve negative electrode energy density
Silicon-tin alloy technology
Alternative materials for high-capacity super-fast charging
Lithium replenishment technology for positive and negative electrodes
The anode lithium replenishment technology represented by CATL and the cathode lithium replenishment technology currently being tested by major battery manufacturers have complex processes and high requirements for manufacturing technology. The process of cathode lithium replenishment technology is simple, but it has extremely high requirements on materials and chemical systems. Generally, cathode lithium replenishing agents are prepared by specialized manufacturers. Representative ones include Yanyi's lithium nickelate, Defang Nano's lithium ferrite, and Jia Li Technology's lithium silicate.
High speed lamination technology
Laminated batteries theoretically have higher energy density (higher space utilization, and are suitable for thick electrode plates), lower resistance, and higher safety. The disadvantages are low manufacturing efficiency, high technical requirements, and strict requirements on edge burrs. In the future, high-speed lamination is expected to develop even more rapidly with the advancement of manufacturing technology.
3. Existing technologies created to reduce costs
Dry electrode technology
The concept of dry electrode is more like a concept born from the perspective of ESG, because it eliminates the need for organic solvents in the pulping process, which can effectively save costs. At the same time, the entire process does not use NMP, making it greener and healthier.
Graphite integrated sintering technology
Key technologies for cost reduction of artificial graphite
Modern intelligent factory construction
Enterprises with high social value and resource integration capabilities have good investment value.
Rich lithium battery technology
Both are layered materials. Due to the unstable bulk structure and interface structure, lithium-rich materials are difficult to meet the application of mainstream power and energy storage markets. In the future, a small amount will be added as a cost-reduction technology. There is not much room for development in the mainstream market.
Lithium battery recycling technology
In the future, large lithium battery recycling companies must be companies with a profound chemical foundation and material foundation. How to regenerate recycled chemical materials in the simplest and energy-saving way in lithium battery recycling is the core competitiveness of the company, which requires high research and development capabilities and a large amount of resources. Accumulation of knowledge reserves. Correspondingly, it is also the industry that leading cathode companies should be involved in. Enterprises hatched by individuals or companies with rich experience in cathode production have higher investment value.
Blade battery technology
Lithium iron phosphate blade battery technology does not essentially increase the upper limit of energy density in the entire industry, but it reduces the cost of batteries.
Ultra-thin copper foil technology
For copper foil companies, the key technology to maintain high gross profit margins requires extremely high manufacturing capabilities and equipment, and the barriers to competition are high.
4. Taking into account both high safety and high energy density
Semi-solid battery technology
The mainstream of hybrid solid-liquid batteries is soft-pack batteries, and the forms are gradually becoming more diverse.
1. Weilan: The current power and drones all use soft packages, and the energy storage is square + soft package. Among the company's next-stage products, cylindrical, square, and soft packages will be involved.
2. Qingtao: All soft pack batteries
3. Zhejiang Fengli, both power and outdoor power supplies are soft pack batteries.
4. Enli Power: It mainly develops soft-pack batteries for the fields of EV, drones, and EVTOL, as well as cylindrical 18650 batteries.
In fact, most of the current semi-solid battery companies' money is spent on building production lines to catch up with existing technologies. The current semi-solid battery production process is very similar to the traditional liquid battery. The difference between the batteries is not big, and its own reserves Its unique technologies are solid electrolyte materials and gel electrolyte materials and their application technologies. In essence, it is also taking advantage of material advantages to enter the battery industry. Only solid electrolyte materials and gel electrolyte materials have not brought much change in the chemical system. Using the material advantages to catch up and make up for the advantages of smart manufacturing, this development model has high requirements on the company's personnel composition, recruiting people to catch up. Existing technology is the first priority.
5. Taking into account both high security and low cost
Polymer composite copper foil technology
This technology is mainly promoted by Ningde. In fact, the current semi-solid state essentially solves the safety problem of ternary batteries under high energy density. The polymer composite copper foil technology also has the same purpose, but this technology is more biased towards the innovation of manufacturing technology. , just as Ningde is particularly good at manufacturing technology and Weilan is particularly good at chemical systems, the two have developed different technologies. At the same time, costs can also be reduced from a long-term and large-scale perspective.
Lithium Iron Manganese Phosphate Technology
An improved version of lithium iron phosphate technology (energy density increased by 10%). The technological breakthrough lies in the uniform technology of iron and manganese at the nanoscale. The above-mentioned uniform technology will also be helpful for the synthesis of high-voltage lithium nickel manganate materials in the future. , can currently be used with ternary batteries to reduce costs.
High voltage lithium nickel manganese oxide battery technology
Due to the great increase in voltage, lithium nickel manganese oxide batteries have a 40% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate, and a cost reduction of 30%. It is the material that best meets the ESG concept. Because the increase in voltage can greatly save the lithium element required per unit whh of the battery, Compared with lithium iron phosphate, the demand for lithium elements can be reduced by 50%. At the same time, it can greatly save all auxiliary materials except cathode materials such as negative electrodes, separators, battery cases and module chips used per unit of whh of electricity. It has a three-dimensional structure, good structural reversibility (waste materials are directly recycled, and the regeneration process is extremely simple), and good low-temperature performance (currently, iron lithium and ternary northern winter batteries shrink by 30~50%, and high-voltage lithium nickel manganese oxide is only 10 %), has good rate performance, and can especially be used with the existing high-voltage fast-charging anodes (titanium niobate and lithium titanate) currently on the market to achieve super-fast charging. It is not afraid of water and can get rid of harmful substances NMP in the production process. The disadvantage is the high voltage. What needs to be brought about are changes in the chemical system. Due to the intricate relationship between the positive and negative electrolytes of lithium batteries, battery changes caused by material changes require extremely high R&D capabilities. The technical barriers are high, due to the ultimate pursuit of surface and the comprehensive consideration of the materials involved in the entire chemical system under high pressure.
6. Taking into account both high energy density and low cost
4680 battery technology/CTP technology
The above-mentioned redesign of the battery structure saves materials and space and improves the energy density of the battery. There are high requirements for manufacturing capabilities, equipment understanding and design capabilities, and quality control capabilities, especially the application of ternary system 4680 and CTP technology.
7. In the past five years, technologies that can take into account high energy density, low cost and high safety while meeting recycling needs will be developed. (A 10% gap with existing mainstream technology in all aspects)
Technology that takes into account all three at the same time must be the mainstream technology in the market in the future, that is, the combination of 5 and 6 technologies. This will produce technologies that can simultaneously meet high energy density, low cost and high safety in the next 5-10 years. That is, high-voltage lithium nickel manganese oxide battery technology using 4680 cylindrical and CTP square shells as carriers.
Future opportunities
In the case of the domestic industrial chain and its inner circle, foreign markets are a good choice. Companies need to have an in-depth understanding of local policies, laws and markets to establish a customized business model.
The construction of intelligent digital factories essentially belongs to the technology service industry.
The entrepreneurship, technology, talent and financing capabilities of the next generation hard technology of lithium batteries are the key.
Entrepreneurship based on specific technologies targeting specific markets can easily produce small, sophisticated and beautiful start-ups.
Domestic alternative entrepreneurship, such as auxiliary materials such as adhesives, carbon black, glue, etc.
The establishment of new key equipment, such as large-scale ALD equipment, coating equipment, granulation and shaping equipment, new sintering equipment, and coating equipment.
