Breakthrough and Delay of Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate

Breakthrough and Delay of Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate

Regarded as a new material to break the homogenization competition of lithium iron phosphate materials, manganese iron phosphate lithium has recently undergone frequent updates. Lithium battery positive electrode industry chain enterprises have focused on their respective technological breakthroughs, disclosing the latest progress and layout of manganese iron phosphate lithium.

Recently, two subsidiary companies of Greenmei, Fu'an Qingmei and Wuhan Power Regeneration, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Intrinsic Equation to jointly develop graphene enhanced phosphate (manganese) iron lithium materials, using graphene technology to enhance the conductivity and electrochemical performance of recycled phosphate (manganese) iron lithium materials, thereby improving the energy density and cycle life of batteries.

Hunan Yuneng recently disclosed that its research and development of lithium manganese iron phosphate products is progressing smoothly, achieving breakthroughs in manganese leaching, high-temperature cycling, and compaction density.

Tianjin Guo'an League Guli recently obtained a patent for "a manganese iron lithium phosphate and its preparation method and use". By forming a gradient distribution of manganese, iron, and phosphorus, the crystallinity of the material can be reduced, allowing the material to grow faster and effectively improve compaction density. The excess of phosphorus element on the outer surface of the core forms a lithium rich phosphate protective layer, which can not only improve the conductivity but also effectively improve the manganese leaching problem, thereby enhancing the capacity and cycling performance of lithium manganese iron phosphate.

German Nano has recently applied for a patent of "composite lithium manganese iron phosphate cathode material and its preparation method and application". The preparation method of the composite lithium manganese iron phosphate cathode material uses the combination of metal organic framework and aerogel to apply to the lithium manganese iron phosphate material. The composite lithium manganese iron phosphate cathode material is prepared in the form of MnFe ‑ MOF aerogel as the precursor. The prepared cathode material has a high specific surface area and good conductivity, improves the overall electronic conductivity, and improves the comprehensive performance of the cathode material.

Changzhou Lithium Source released the "Manganese Lithium No.1" high cycle version of its new product in May. Through advanced modification methods such as nanomaterialization, carbon coating, and ion doping, combined with a dual line parallel production process using solid-phase and liquid-phase methods, the product's electronic conductivity, first efficiency, and cycle life have been improved, achieving higher cycle and longer battery life for lithium manganese iron phosphate.

In 2023, lithium manganese iron phosphate materials have made their debut in new products of major battery companies, including CATL, BYD, Zhongchuang Chuanghang, Guoxuan High tech, EVE Energy, Xingheng Power, Funeng Technology, Ruipu Lanjun, and many other battery companies are promoting the research, development, and production of lithium manganese iron phosphate batteries.

The above-mentioned material company, German Nano, claims that its manganese iron lithium phosphate has been applied in vehicles; Hunan Yuneng stated that it is actively promoting certification with customers; Greenmei stated that its manganese iron lithium phosphate production line has entered the ton level commissioning stage. In addition, Rongbai Technology also stated that its manganese iron lithium phosphate has achieved stable shipments and now has a production capacity of 10000 tons per year.

However, based on the shipment situation in 2023, there is still a long way to go for lithium manganese iron phosphate to contribute profits to material companies.

According to relevant data, the shipment volume of manganese iron lithium phosphate will be in the thousand ton range in 2023, while the shipment volume of lithium iron phosphate materials will be in the million ton range.

De Fang Nano and Rongbai Technology of the Heavy Code Manganese Iron Phosphate Line have also stated in their performance statements that increased investment in lithium manganese iron phosphate and other new cathode materials will affect current profits.

Specifically, the stability of performance is a major factor restricting the industrial application of lithium manganese iron phosphate. From the above enterprise dynamics, it can be seen that various enterprises are still continuously exploring the performance of lithium manganese iron phosphate materials, especially focusing on tackling the problem of "manganese leaching".

Manganese leaching can lead to continuous damage and regeneration repair of SEI film, which consumes active lithium and produces by-products, thereby accelerating battery capacity degradation and cycle life decline. In addition, manganese leaching may also affect the stability and safety of batteries. The manganese ions deposited on the negative electrode surface may react with the electrolyte to generate unstable compounds, increasing the internal resistance and safety hazards of the battery.

At present, even by adjusting the manganese content in lithium manganese iron phosphate, a balance between energy density and cycle life of batteries can be achieved in practical applications. However, in order to maximize the comprehensive advantages of lithium manganese iron phosphate materials in terms of cycling and energy density, enterprises are still trying to optimize the stability of lithium manganese iron phosphate materials and increase the manganese content in the materials.

In addition to the continuous efforts of the above-mentioned enterprises in material technology, improving battery management systems and developing supporting electrolytes are also ways to support the industrial application of lithium manganese iron phosphate.

But lithium manganese iron phosphate materials are still highly anticipated. GGII predicts that the shipment of lithium manganese iron phosphate will exceed 30000 tons in 2024, with a growth rate of over 500%.

From the perspective of terminals, Tesla, Chery Era, and Zhijie are actively testing manganese iron phosphate lithium batteries.

In addition, against the backdrop of rethinking the positive electrode route overseas, the technology route of lithium manganese iron phosphate is still in the exploratory stage in both domestic and international markets. Rongbai Technology has officially announced in 2024 that it will cooperate with LGES and SK On on lithium manganese iron phosphate, and the South Korean 20000 tons/year lithium manganese iron phosphate project has officially started construction in August 2023 and is currently accelerating its construction