Lithium-Ion Battery Chemical Analysis Raw Material Testing Plan

Lithium batteries are divided into lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in devices such as cars, mobile phones, and laptops, and are commonly referred to as lithium batteries. Batteries generally use materials containing lithium elements as electrodes and are representative of modern high-performance batteries. True lithium batteries, due to their high risk, are rarely used in everyday electronic products. Currently, lithium-ion batteries are being used more and developing faster. They have become the key energy supply devices for most electronic products and power batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight, do not contain metallic lithium, are rechargeable, have high energy density, long cycle life, and do not pollute the environment. In the industrialization process of synthesizing cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, rapid and controlled analysis of high lithium content and systematic sample analysis are of great significance.  

Lithium-ion batteries were successfully developed by Sony Corporation in Japan in 1990. They work by embedding lithium ions into carbon (petroleum coke and graphite) to form the anode (traditional lithium batteries use lithium or lithium alloys as the anode). Common cathode materials include LixCoO2, and LixNiO2 and LixMnO4 are also used. The electrolyte is LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Using petroleum coke and graphite as anode materials is non-toxic and resources are abundant. Lithium ions embedded in carbon overcome the high reactivity of lithium and solve the safety problems of traditional lithium batteries. The cathode LixCoO2 can achieve high levels in charge-discharge performance and lifespan, reducing costs. In short, the overall performance of lithium-ion batteries is improved. It is expected that lithium-ion batteries will occupy a large market in the 21st century.

       Development Process In 1970, M.S. Whittingham of Exxon used titanium sulfide as the cathode material and metallic lithium as the anode material to make a lithium battery. The cathode materials of lithium batteries are manganese dioxide or thionyl chloride, and the anode is lithium. Once the battery is assembled, it has voltage and does not require charging. Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion Batteries) developed from lithium batteries. For example, the button batteries used in cameras in the past belong to lithium batteries. These batteries can also be recharged, but their cycle performance is poor. During the charge-discharge cycles, lithium crystals can easily form, causing internal short circuits, so generally, such batteries are not allowed to be recharged. In 1982, R.R. Agarwal and J.R. Selman of the Illinois Institute of Technology discovered that lithium ions have the characteristic of intercalating into graphite, a process that is rapid and reversible. Meanwhile, lithium batteries made with metallic lithium faced safety concerns, so people tried to use the intercalation characteristic of lithium ions into graphite to make rechargeable batteries. Usable lithium-ion graphite electrodes were successfully trial-produced by Bell Labs. In 1983, M. Thackeray, J. Goodenough, and others found that manganese spinel is an excellent cathode material, being cheap, stable, and having excellent conductivity and lithium conduction performance. Its decomposition temperature is high, and its oxidizing properties are much lower than lithium cobalt oxide, which avoids the risks of fire and explosion even in cases of short circuit or overcharging. In 1989, A. Manthiram and J. Goodenough discovered that using polyatomic anion cathodes would produce higher voltage. In 1992, Sony Corporation in Japan invented lithium batteries using carbon materials for the anode and lithium-containing compounds for the cathode. During the charge-discharge process, no metallic lithium is present, only lithium ions, which is what defines lithium-ion batteries. Subsequently, lithium-ion batteries revolutionized consumer electronic products. Batteries using lithium cobalt oxide as the cathode material became the main power source for portable electronic devices. In 1996, Padhi and Goodenough discovered that phosphate materials with an olivine structure, such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), are safer than traditional cathode materials, especially heat-resistant, and their overcharge tolerance is far better than that of traditional lithium-ion battery materials. Looking at the history of battery development, three characteristics of the current global battery industry can be observed: first, the rapid development of environmentally-friendly batteries, including lithium-ion storage batteries and nickel-hydrogen batteries; second, the transition from primary batteries to secondary (rechargeable) batteries, which aligns with sustainable development strategies; third, batteries are further developing toward being smaller, lighter, and thinner. Among commercial rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries, especially polymer lithium-ion batteries, enable the miniaturization of rechargeable batteries. Because lithium-ion batteries have high volumetric and gravimetric energy density, are rechargeable, and are pollution-free, they embody the three major characteristics of current battery industry development, hence their rapid growth in developed countries.The development of the telecommunications and information markets, especially the use of mobile phones and laptops, has brought market opportunities for lithium-ion batteries. Among lithium-ion batteries, polymer lithium-ion batteries, with their unique advantages in safety, will gradually replace liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries and become the mainstream of lithium-ion batteries. Polymer lithium-ion batteries are hailed as the "batteries of the 21st century," which will open a new era for storage batteries, with very optimistic prospects for development.