Currently, China new energy vehicles mainly use ternary material battery and LFP battery, together accounting for a total of 95% power battery market share in 2016, as shown by ASIACHEM information. In recent years, China introduces many policies to encourage development of batteries which have higher energy density. As LFP battery energy density promotion is limited, ternary material battery has become market development trend.
Apr 2017, MIIT etc. released ‘Vehicle Industry Middle and Long Term Development Plan’. The Plan points out, to 2020, power battery monomer specific energy will reach more than 300Wh/kg, and strive to realize 350Wh/kg, and system specific energy strive to reach 260Wh/kg.
Study found that in ternary materials, the higher nickel content, the higher energy density of ternary material battery. As NCM 111 ternary battery and NCM 523 ternary battery are hard to realize aim of 300Wh/kg monomer energy density, ASIACHEM believes that, high nickel ternary material will become market mainstream in the future.
Except policies reasons, ASIACHEM ‘China Lithium and Cobalt Resources Annual Report 2017’ information shows that, greatly increase of prices of cobalt products is also forcing high nickel ternary material to become market mainstream.
Cobalt is a rare metal, global economy, supply and demand, market expectation and speculation etc. factors will have effects on price of cobalt. In recent years, with output of new energy vehicle and smart phones of the world, especially China, greatly increase, ASIACHEM ‘China Lithium and Cobalt Resources Annual Report 2017’ data shows that, in 2016, about 57.7% cobalt resource of the world were used in battery field.
Currently, tension supply of cobalt resource of oversea market makes price of cobalt products greatly increase. Take CoSO4 as an example, data shows that, at the beginning of 2017, price of CoSO4 was about 53.5kt/a; at the beginning of Sep, however, its price has risen to about 87.5kt/a, increases about 63.6%. Greatly increase of prices of cobalt products is also forcing high nickel ternary material to become market mainstream.
ASIACHEM ‘China Lithium and Cobalt Resources Annual Report 2017’ shows that, in 2017, China high nickel ternary material technology R&D and project construction progress are as below.
GEM
Feb 2017, GEM stated that, the company the company will promote 811 Type and NCA etc. high nickel product in 2017.
Easpring Material
Mar 2017, Easpring Material released announcement, the company plans to fundraise CNY 1.5bn. Among, CNY 1.16bn will invest Jiangsu Easpring LIB cathode material production base phase-3, main construction content of the production base phase-3 is 18kt/a high nickel ternary material production line. The production line will be designed on standard of NCM811/NCA. Meanwhile, it will have ability of production of different kinds of ternary material (NCM523, NCM622, NCM811 and NCA).
Shanshan Energy
Mar 2017, Shanshan Energy 5000t/a Ternary 811 Turn-key Project Production Line construction started in Shizuishan Base, Ningxia and estimated to put into operation in 2017.
MOST
Apr 2017, recently, National key R&D plan ‘New Energy Vehicle’ key specific project, 2016 established project, ‘High Specific Energy Power LIB Development and Industrial Technology Breakthrough’ made a stage achievement in terms of R&D of high nickel cathode material.
Project R&D team passed basic formula experiment in stage 1, solved technology problems of high nickel system material low discharging specific energy and low primacy effect, combined precursor controlled crystallization synthesis technology, rich oxygen atmosphere secondary solid phase synthesis technology and formula adjustment, coating technology etc. key technologies, increased oxidation degree of Ni2+ to Ni3+, reduced material surface and electrolyte’s contact, reduced material surface lithium residual volume, on the premise of not increase Ni content, increase first discharging capacity of high nickel system material to more than 206mAh/g, primacy effect to more than 90%, tap density to more than 2.1g/cm3, magnetic impurity content to less than 40ppb, pH to less than 11.7, and owned a 20t/month pilot production line.
However, it is worth noticing that, increase of content of nickel will also shorten battery cycle life at the same time. Sep 2017, MIIT released ‘Key New Material First Batch Application Demonstration Guiding Catalog (2017 Edition)’, which rules: NCM ternary material specific capacity should be larger than 180mAh/g (0.5C), cycle life should be larger than 1000 times (80%). ASIACHEM believes that, China cathode material enterprises should continue R&D of high nickel ternary material.
Besides, research indicates that, high nickel ternary material must use LiOH for sintering. The main reason is high nickel ternary material sintering temperature requirement is no more than 800℃, if use Li2CO3 as raw material, too low sintering temperature will cause incomplete decomposition, and which will lead over strong alkalinity, and increase of sensibility to humidity, and influence battery performances. Melting point of LiOH, however, is lower than Li2CO3, and first discharge specific energy is as high as 172mAh/g. Besides, LiOH has better tap density and bigger rate’s charging / discharging performance. In hence, ternary material towards high nickel direction’s development trend drives global lithium salts suppliers expanding LiOH capacity to respond to future needs.
ASIACHEM ‘China Lithium and Cobalt Resources Annual Report 2017’ shows that, 2016-2017, global and China LiOH capacity new built / expansion conditions are shown as table below.
