K-Battery's Mission Focused on 'Nickel': "Increase Driving Range and Lower Price"

[Battery Material Superiority]①
Cathode Materials Determining Battery Performance
Korean Batteries Based on High-Nickel Cathode Materials

Editor's NoteThe battery industry is engaged in a silent war to keep pace with the accelerating adoption of electric vehicles. Battery companies have focused on establishing large-scale production facilities worldwide to meet the exploding demand. While quantity has been the focus so far, it is now believed that the future will be decided by quality. This is why battery companies are concentrating on developing new battery materials. We examine what materials will make up next-generation batteries and what research and development (R&D) efforts companies are focusing on to develop new materials.

Photo of cathode material produced by LG Chem

Materials account for 50% of the cost of electric vehicle batteries. Among them, cathode active materials are key components that determine battery performance such as capacity and output. In the past, nickel-based cathode materials dominated, but with the relatively inexpensive lithium iron phosphate (LFP) material gaining renewed attention, the battery market is now divided between the two.

The basic structure of a battery converts chemical energy generated by ions moving from the cathode to the anode into electrical energy. To make cathode materials, cathode active materials are essential. Cathode active materials are synthesized by combining lithium compounds (lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate) with precursors composed of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and others.

The capacity, energy density, stability, lifespan, and price of cathode materials vary depending on which raw materials?such as nickel, which determines energy density; cobalt and manganese, which enhance stability; and aluminum (Al), which improves output characteristics?are combined and in what ratios.

Among these, increasing the nickel content is crucial to extending the driving range of electric vehicles. The high-nickel ternary cathode material market, with nickel content above 80%, is led by domestic battery and material companies. Recently, R&D efforts have been underway to raise the nickel content above 90%. This also reduces the proportion of expensive cobalt, enhancing price competitiveness.

However, as the cobalt and manganese content decreases in cathode materials, structural instability arises, requiring advanced technologies such as particle formation technology, moisture control technology, and surface treatment technology to manage this.

LG Energy Solution is developing high-nickel NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) cathode materials and is currently conducting research to reduce cobalt content to below 5% while raising nickel content to 93%. Samsung SDI is developing NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum), and SK On is developing NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cathode materials, all aiming to increase nickel content.

POSCO Future M (formerly POSCO Chemical) is mass-producing high-nickel NCM(A) cathode materials with over 80% nickel content and signed a 10-year supply contract with Samsung SDI in January to provide NCA cathode materials until 2032. EcoPro BM also plans to commercialize single-crystal high-nickel cathode materials with nickel content above 94%.

Additionally, cobalt-free NMX (cobalt-free) and manganese-rich LLO (lithium-rich layered oxide), which increase price competitiveness by reducing cobalt or increasing inexpensive manganese content, are gaining attention as new cathode materials.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Battery companies are also focusing their research on producing cathode active materials as single crystals. Cathode materials undergo a rolling process during battery manufacturing to be spread thinly, and making them as uniform single crystals prevents particle breakage, improving stability. Compared to polycrystalline materials, single crystals can also extend battery life, making this a next-generation technology.

LG Chem is converting part of its Cheongju plant lines to a single-crystal system, aiming for mass production within the year. SM Lab, founded by Professor Jae-Pil Cho of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, developed manganese oxide-based single-crystal material technology for the first time in the world last year.

Chinese companies such as CATL and BYD have taken the lead in LFP technology development. While nickel-based cathode materials focus on balancing material ratios, LFP technology emphasizes increasing battery capacity.

Attention is being paid to methods such as Cell to Pack (CTP), which mounts cells directly into packs without modules, and Cell to Chassis, which mounts cells directly onto the vehicle chassis. Applying CTP technology is evaluated to have raised the energy density of battery packs to about 80% of that of nickel-based batteries.

SNE Research predicts that the cathode material market will grow from $35.6 billion (46 trillion KRW) this year to $50.3 billion (65 trillion KRW) in 2025 and $82.9 billion (107 trillion KRW) by 2030.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.