#来点儿干货#
On the road of lithium battery technology evolution, the dependence on liquid electrolytes will be gradually reduced, and the hybrid solid-liquid battery will gradually evolve to a completely liquid-free all-solid-state battery.
In the field of new energy vehicles, some well-known overseas companies, such as Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Samsung, have focused on investing in the research and development of all-solid-state batteries, and plan to mass-produce models equipped with such batteries between 2025 and 2030.
At the same time, domestic manufacturers such as SAIC and NIO are expected to start mass production of models equipped with semi-solid-state batteries in 2024, while Changan and GAC also plan to launch related products between 2025 and 2026.
Equipped with an 82 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack, the VOYAH "Chasing Light" has been mass-produced and rolled off the production line. In addition, the SERES 5 electric version equipped with a 90 kWh semi-solid-state battery also entered the European market last year.
As an ideal form of battery, solid-state batteries have the significant advantages of high energy density and high safety, so they have broad application prospects.
Diagram of an all-solid-state battery:
Source: Toyota's official website
Pay attention to Leqing's industry observation and gain insight into the industrial pattern!
An overview of the solid-state battery industry
According to the different liquid content of the electrolyte, lithium batteries can be divided into three categories: liquid, solid-state mixed and all-solid.
Solid-state lithium-ion batteries work similarly to liquid lithium-ion batteries, with the main difference being that the electrolyte and separator in the liquid battery are replaced with a solid-state electrolyte, allowing for less or no separator and electrolyte.
Comparison of solid-state batteries and lithium batteries:
Solid-state batteries are seen as the long-term development direction of battery technology because the use of solid electrolytes instead of liquid electrolytes can significantly improve the energy density and safety of lithium batteries.
Solid-state electrolytes are highly compatible with cathode and anode materials with high specific capacities, which offers great potential to increase the energy density of batteries. In contrast, the energy density of liquid batteries can typically reach more than 250 Wh/kg, while semi-solid batteries can be further increased to more than 350 Wh/kg. Furthermore, the energy density of quasi-solid-state batteries can achieve a leap of 400Wh/kg, while all-solid-state batteries are expected to break through the limit of 500Wh/kg.
In the production of all-solid-state batteries, there is no need for a liquid injection step. Instead, it is tightly bound together by means of heat compression, etc., to ensure good mechanical contact between them. However, for semi-solid-state batteries, a liquid injection step is still required in the production process to add electrolyte and solid-state electrolyte to achieve their specific performance requirements.
At present, the all-solid-state battery technology is not yet fully mature, the technical difficulty is high, and related products still have problems such as short life and poor rate performance. There is still a gap between the basic research and application of solid-state batteries. There are still problems to be solved in terms of low-temperature performance, cost control and equipment breakthroughs for large-scale mass production.
As a transitional product, semi-solid-state batteries have made major breakthroughs in equipment compatibility, cost control, technical implementation, and performance, and may be the first to achieve mass commercial application.
At present, the solid electrolytes mainly used in solid-state batteries can be divided into three categories: polymers, oxides and sulfides. However, there is still a lot of controversy and discussion about these three types of solid-state electrolytes on the technical route.
Although polymer solid electrolytes have made some progress as the first type of application, they still have shortcomings such as low conductivity, narrow electrochemical window and low energy density.
Oxide solid-state electrolytes can only work in thin-film batteries, high temperatures, and low currents due to their hard texture and large interfacial impedance, which limits their application range to a certain extent.
Sulfide solid electrolytes perform well in terms of conductivity and have high development potential. However, it also faces challenges such as extreme sensitivity to humidity, instability of the positive and negative electrode interfaces due to narrow electrochemical windows, and solid-phase mass transfer.
In terms of materials, in order to improve the energy density of the battery, the cathode will be made of high-energy-density materials such as ultra-high nickel ternary or lithium-rich manganese-based, while the negative electrode is expected to be made of silicon materials or lithium metal anodes. At the same time, the use of highly conductive carbon nanotubes is also expected to further increase to improve the overall performance of batteries.
Solid-state battery market competition pattern and leading combing
At present, the industrialization process of solid-state batteries is accelerating. At present, mainstream manufacturers have set foot in this field in the form of semi-solid or quasi-solid, aiming to improve the energy density of batteries and reserve for the full application of solid-state battery technology.
In 2023, some semi-solid-state battery products have been released and unveiled, and at present, semi-solid-state batteries are at a critical juncture in mass production.
From the perspective of enterprise layout, a number of leading companies have emerged in the field of electrolytes, such as Tianmu Pilot, Qingtao Energy, Ganfeng Lithium and beiteri. At the same time, the traditional leading enterprises of positive and negative electrode materials, such as Rongbai Technology, Dangsheng Technology, Putailai and Beiteri, are also accelerating the layout of the solid-state battery field to seize market opportunities.
It is expected that in 2024, semi-solid-state batteries are expected to be used in batches in the new energy vehicle market. This progress will inject new vitality into the new energy vehicle market and promote its further development.
In the field of batteries, not only traditional lithium battery companies such as CATL, EVE and China Innovation Aviation are actively involved in the R&D and production of solid-state batteries, but also emerging companies such as Weilan New Energy, Qingtao Energy and Huineng Technology are also deeply engaged in solid-state battery technology for a long time and actively promote the mass production of products.
In addition, the upstream and downstream layout manufacturers of solid-state batteries include, including Jinlongyu, Shanghai Xiba, Defu Technology, Ruitai New Materials, Del Shares, Oriental Zirconium, Sanxiang New Materials, Ganfeng Lithium, etc. #Lithium battery##Solid-state battery##New energy vehicle##Article launch challenge##Battery##New energy vehicle##财经#
epilogue
Solid-state batteries are expected to be the ultimate form of batteries, not only because of their significant advantages in terms of safety, energy density and longevity, but also because they are in line with the trends and needs of future battery technology development. From the perspective of safety, solid-state batteries use solid-state electrolytes instead of traditional liquid electrolytes, thus fundamentally solving potential safety hazards such as battery leakage and fire. This is crucial for the development of new energy vehicles, because the safety of the battery is directly related to the overall safety performance of the vehicle.
In addition, solid-state batteries also have a comparatively longer lifespan. Because there is no internal leakage problem and the electrolyte is not easy to age, the cycle life of solid-state batteries is expected to far exceed that of traditional liquid batteries. This will help reduce the maintenance cost of new energy vehicles and improve their overall economic benefits.
With the increasing global attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, the new energy vehicle market is showing a vigorous development trend. As one of the core components of new energy vehicles, the development of battery technology directly affects the performance and market competitiveness of new energy vehicles. As a new battery technology with significant advantages, solid-state batteries have attracted much attention for their development prospects, and the development space of solid-state batteries will be very broad in the future.
Pay attention to Leqing's industry observation and gain insight into the industrial pattern!