Next Li-polymer batteries & packs use NCM, NCA

The steady shift from mainstream cathode materials in Li-polymer battery and pack manufacturing continues amid product upgrades.

Suppliers of Li-polymer batteries and packs in China are leveraging developments in materials to strengthen the line and boost market penetration. They are directing attention to alternative cathode materials such as nickel cobalt manganese or NCM and nickel cobalt aluminum or NCA. This is to realize better capacitance density, charging efficiency and charging performance in low temperatures than those typically based on LiFePO₄ and LiMn₂O₄.

NCM and NCA types are not widely available as yet, but they will be as more companies plan to release such variants, spurred by the robust requirement in mobile electronics. Dongguan Juda and Hebei Xin are among the local makers that have started offering them.

The other material being watched is solid polymer electrolyte, which will pave the way for the production of more advanced solid-state kinds. The input has still not reached commercialization.

In addition to mobile devices such as smartphones, Li-polymer batteries and packs find broad use in wearable electronics, medical products, electric vehicles or EVs and power storage systems.

Compared with others in the umbrella Li-ion category, Li-polymer solutions have advantages of higher capacity, slimmer profile and lighter weight. For this reason, manufacturers will continue to pursue R&D. Fello Tech Co. Ltd will focus on achieving greater product reliability and longer operating life as it targets the EV and power storage markets.

Shipments of Li-polymer batteries and packs will continue to climb, driven by strong demand in the mobile electronics and EV sectors. At present, the line represents 40 percent of China’s total for the lithium group and will have a 50 percent share in the year ahead. In sales, this translates to an annual increase of more than 15 percent.

Fello turns out Li-ion and Li-polymer batteries, but will keep emphasizing the latter, which now account for 80 percent of the company’s deliveries. Last year, it invested $1.47 million in new equipment to boost total output by 10 percent. The maker is sustaining production expansion through 2019. It will raise export volume at the same rate.

Amid these developments, another one is taking place in the local motive battery sector with the goal of bolstering the research on and the industrialization of lithium-rich manganese batteries. Such types boasting performance and cost advantages are seen to replace other chemistries in the lithium and lead-acid segments in the application.

Only large local companies such as Zhaoqing Outstanding are involved in this undertaking at present. The maker, the first to this venture, is set to realize an annual capacity of up to 3GWh in the next one or two years. It introduced 250Wh/kg units this year, and will release 300 and 350Wh/kg versions in 2019 and 2020, surpassing conventional Li-polymer variants that offer 150Wh/kg energy density.

Overall, the lithium category’s expansion in China remains on track. The industry sales value is projected to reach about $32.8 billion in 2022, increasing annually by 15 percent, according to China Industry Information, a local specialized research company. The applications driving growth are mobile and wearable electronics, EVs and power storage systems.

More than 400 suppliers make up the Li-polymer battery and battery pack manufacturing sector in China. About 80 percent of the companies are locally owned. The major ones include Amperex, BYD and Tianjin Lishen. The rest of the pool consists of suppliers from Japan and the US. Sony and Panasonic are among them.

The Pearl River Delta region is still the production hub for the line. Over half of the makers are in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, mainly in the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the first and Ningde in the latter.

Ningde hopes to become the world’s largest hub for the category in the next several years. It plays host to Amperex, the global leader in Li-polymer batteries for consumer electronics. By end-2020, the city’s production value for lithium batteries and packs is forecast to hit $10.8 billion.

Typical selection

China’s Li-polymer batteries and packs use gel electrolyte, and LiFePO₄ and LiMn₂O₄ cathode materials.

Units for consumer electronics have 850mAh to 8Ah rated capacity and 3.7V rated voltage, models for electric bikes and EVs 5 to 80Ah and 12 to 60V, and those for power storage applications 20 to 300Ah and 6 to 36V. The typical life span is 500 cycles.

Most makers obtain cathode and anode materials locally, turning to foreign providers only when required. For separators, Japan and US are their main sources, while other manufacturers also purchase from domestic companies such as Tonen and Celgard.

Although the supply of materials and components remains sufficient, costs have risen, prompting some suppliers to raise their prices slightly. In the months ahead, input expenditure and product quotes will be stable.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in Li-polymer batteries and packs from China makers.

200mAh Li-polymer battery

From Dongguan Perfect Amperex Technology Ltd, model PATL004-08440 Li-polymer battery has 200mAh nominal capacity, 3.7V nominal voltage, and 3 or 4.2V cutoff voltage. Its standard charge and discharge rates are 0.2C.

The product lasts 500 cycles and complies with CE, IEC 62133, RoHS, UL and UN3 8.3 guidelines. The maker requires a minimum order of 3,000 units. Delivery lead time is 15 days.

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900mAh Li-polymer battery for GPS, medical devices

For GPS and medical products, model FL553450P 3.7V 900mAh Li-polymer from Fello Tech Co. Ltd has ≤60Mohm finished resistance and operates on 0 to 45 C. It carries IEC 62133, UL and UN 38.3 approval. Dimensions and weight are 6.2x68x76mm and 18g.

The minimum order of 500 units is for delivery within 10 days.

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2,600mAh Li-polymer battery

Naccon Power Technology Co. Ltd offers the 104065 model, a 3.7V Li-polymer battery providing 2,600mAh nominal capacity. The unit’s discharging cutoff voltage is 3V and the charging voltage 4.2V, while the standard charge and discharge rates are 0.2C.

The 1,000-unit minimum order is delivered within 10 days.

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Li-polymer battery lasts 500 to 800 cycles

Model 7G/1960mAh 3.82V Li-polymer battery from Shenzhen Dehong Li Ke Electronic Technology Co. Ltd has a charging voltage of 4.35V and life span of 500 to 800 cycles. It integrates an NTC sensor and a protection circuit module to guard against overcharging, -discharging and short circuits.

An order of 100 units is for delivery within 7 days.

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