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Global lithium battery market conditions and application development

Published Time:

2023-04-23

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Research Background

With global development, a large amount of natural energy has been developed and utilized, leading to energy crises worldwide. Therefore, research into new energy sources is of great significance. Lithium batteries, as a new generation of clean energy, not only avoid environmental pollution but also facilitate people's lives and work.

Focusing on the current global market development of lithium batteries, this article analyzes the development trends of lithium batteries at home and abroad, and identifies shortcomings in domestic lithium battery development. This can, to a certain extent, promote the development of domestic lithium batteries.

Overview of Lithium Batteries

Lithium batteries are batteries composed of a non-electrolyte solution and lithium metal or lithium alloy. Lithium batteries can be divided into two types: lithium metal batteries and lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium batteries are mainly composed of four parts: the positive electrode, the negative electrode, the electrolyte, and the diaphragm. The positive electrode of a lithium metal battery is mainly manganese dioxide, and the negative electrode is lithium metal, while the positive electrode of a lithium-ion battery is lithium metal oxide, and the negative electrode is graphite.

Compared with traditional batteries, lithium batteries have certain advantages:

First, lithium batteries store about six times more energy than ordinary batteries, and have a service life of nearly six years or more.

Second, lithium batteries do not contain heavy metals, do not pollute the environment, and do not require water as a raw material during production.

Finally, lithium batteries are particularly light in weight and can adapt to high and low temperature environments.

To a certain extent, this makes it more convenient for people to use lithium batteries. However, Lithium batteries also have certain shortcomings in their development:

First, lithium primary batteries may explode during use, affecting people's safety.

Second, the circuits of lithium batteries must be protected during charging and discharging.

Third, lithium batteries have certain limitations in production and use, and have high costs.

Global Lithium Battery Market Development Status

Part.1

Positive Electrode Material

Currently, the global positive electrode materials for lithium batteries mainly include lithium manganese oxide, lithium cobalt oxide, ternary materials, and lithium iron phosphate, etc. The positive electrode material of lithium batteries in commonly used mobile phones, tablet computers, and other products is mainly lithium cobalt oxide. The positive electrode materials for electric vehicle lithium batteries are mainly potassium manganate and ternary materials while lithium iron phosphate is considered safer. 。

In recent years, ternary materials have been the fastest-developing positive electrode materials. Globally, Japan, South Korea, and Europe have most of the positive electrode material companies. China's lithium battery positive electrode material companies are also developing slowly. The world's largest lithium battery positive electrode material company is Umicore in Belgium, with nearly one-third of the global market. China's lithium battery positive electrode material companies are mainly concentrated in Shenzhen, Xiamen and other places.

Part.2

Negative Electrode Material

The global development of lithium battery negative electrode materials is already very mature. Therefore, lithium battery negative electrode materials have not received much attention from companies in various countries. The negative electrode material for lithium batteries is mainly graphite . Graphite is mainly divided into natural graphite and artificial graphite.

Among them, the price of artificial graphite is relatively higher than that of natural graphite. Although lithium battery negative electrode materials do not receive much global attention, the demand for lithium battery negative electrode materials is still growing.

Part.3

Electrolyte

Lithium battery electrolytes are mainly divided into three types: liquid, gel, and solid electrolytes . Currently, liquid electrolytes dominate the lithium battery electrolyte market. The composition of liquid electrolytes mainly consists of organic solvents, solutes, and functional additives.

Currently, electrolyte companies around the world are mainly researching the composition of additives, each with its own additive technology . However, both liquid and gel electrolytes have safety risks. Therefore, a large number of electrolyte companies around the world are continuously researching solid-state electrolytes.

Part.4

Diaphragm

Lithium battery diaphragms mainly include three types: PP/PE/PP three-layer composite membranes, single-layer PE diaphragms, and single-layer PP diaphragms. Although PP/PE/PP three-layer composite membranes have lower costs and do not pollute the environment, the production process is more complex and it is difficult to achieve ultra-thin requirements.

Single-layer PE diaphragms can meet the ultra-thin requirements, but their cost is particularly high. Single-layer PP diaphragms have low costs, but they heat up rapidly in short circuits.

In addition, diaphragms are mainly manufactured using dry and wet methods 。 . The dry method has a simpler process and can produce single-layer and composite membranes, while the wet method can only be used for single-layer membranes. Therefore, most companies around the world use dry-method diaphragms for manufacturing.

Global Applications of Lithium Batteries

Part.1

3C Field

The 3C field mainly refers to the electronics, communications, and computer fields. In recent years, lithium batteries have been widely used in mobile phones, tablet computers, and laptops. Depending on market demand, the proportion of different battery types in the market also varies.

Currently, lithium battery companies in China, South Korea, and Japan dominate the 3C field. Global lithium battery companies mainly include ZTE, Apple, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, etc.

Part.2

Electric Vehicle Market

Traditional electric vehicles have enjoyed a long development period due to their high cost-effectiveness. However, several electric vehicle traffic accidents worldwide have hindered the market development of traditional electric vehicles. Lithium batteries store significantly more energy than traditional batteries, offering considerable development potential.

Therefore, lithium batteries have received significant attention in electric vehicles. The large-scale application of lithium batteries in electric vehicles has reduced production costs. However, the application of lithium batteries in electric vehicles has not progressed as expected.

Part.3

Energy Storage Market

Regarding the application of lithium batteries in the energy storage market, most companies in various countries are still in the initial demonstration phase. The application of lithium batteries in the energy storage market is costly , and further research and development requires government funding.

Given this situation, the application of lithium batteries in the energy storage market is unlikely to see rapid development in the near future. Therefore, Cost Issues have become a barrier to the application of lithium batteries in the energy storage market.

Overseas Lithium Battery Development Trends

In overseas lithium battery development, Sony mainly uses lithium polymer batteries with larger capacities , and employs the latest high-capacity lithium polymer batteries in laptops. In the energy storage market, Sony has independently developed energy storage devices. In future development trends, Sony will primarily focus on soft-pack battery technology.

Samsung's future development will primarily focus on continuous innovation. In IT batteries, Samsung mainly uses square and soft-pack batteries. In the electric vehicle sector, Samsung has production bases in multiple countries, including the United States, China, and South Korea.

LG has improved its economic efficiency by reducing its product line. In the electric vehicle sector, LG is researching electric vehicle layouts, actively developing new technologies, resulting in a market share of one-quarter. Additionally, LG has developed household energy storage devices for the energy storage market, demonstrating its proactive approach to R&D.

Overall Development of Domestic Lithium Batteries

Due to global economic influences, the development of lithium batteries in China has been slow. China's lithium batteries have shown good development in the 3C field. However, the development of lithium batteries in electric vehicles is slow, failing to reach the expected speed. This has led to bankruptcies among many domestic companies in this sector. Currently, overseas lithium battery revenue is approximately ten times that of China. This necessitates that China gradually recognizes current development trends, builds strength, and accelerates the development of its lithium battery industry.

Conclusion

In summary, with technological advancements, lithium batteries have gained widespread global application. Currently, the materials that make up lithium batteries—the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator—are experiencing significant global development. The various materials directly impact the development of lithium batteries.

Regarding the application of lithium batteries in 3C, electric vehicles, and the energy storage market, this analysis of domestic and international lithium battery development trends reveals that domestic development lags significantly behind that of developed countries. Therefore, China should clarify the market conditions and development environment for domestic lithium batteries, redefine development goals, and enhance the development of its lithium battery companies.