Week 1 Understanding Different Battery Chemistry

1.Prepare a table which includes materials & chemical reactions occurring at the anode and cathode of LCO, LMO, NCA, NMC, LFP and LTO type of lithium ion cells. Give your detailed explanation on it

Answer:

Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO) has high specific energy compared to the other batteries, making it the preferred choice for laptops and mobile phones. It also has a low cost and a moderate performance. However, it is highly unfavourable in all the other aspects when compared to the other lithium-ion batteries. It has low specific power, low safety, and a low lifespan.

Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) has moderate specific power, moderate specific energy, and a moderate level of safety when compared to the other types of lithium-ion batteries. It has the added advantage of a low cost. The downsides are its low performance and low lifespan. It is usually used in medical devices and power tools.

Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) has two major advantages as compared to the other batteries. The first one is its high specific energy, which makes it desirable in electric powertrains, electric vehicles, and electric bikes. The other is its low cost. It is moderate in terms of specific power, safety, lifespan, and performance when compared to the other lithium-ion batteries. It can be optimized to either have high specific power or high specific energy.

Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide (NCA) offers one strong advantage compared to the five other batteries: high specific energy. It is pretty moderate in the rest of the characteristics like performance, cost, specific power, and lifespan. The only downside to this battery type is its low level of safety. Its high specific energy and moderate lifespan make it a good candidate for electric powertrains.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) only has one major disadvantage when compared to other types of lithium-ion batteries, and that is its low specific energy. Other than that, it has moderate to high ratings in all the other characteristics. It has high specific power, offers a high level of safety, has a high lifespan, and comes at a low cost. The performance of this battery is also moderate. It is often employed in electric motorcycles and other applications that require a long lifespan and a high level of safety.

Lithium Titanate (LTO) offers high safety, high performance, and a high lifespan which are very important features every battery should have. Its specific energy is low compared to the five other lithium-ion batteries, but it compensates for this with moderate specific power. The only major disadvantage of lithium titanate as compared to the other lithium-ion batteries is its extremely high cost. Another important feature of this battery worthy of mention is its remarkably fast recharge time. It can be used for storing solar energy and creating smart grids.

Sr. No	Type ofLithium Ion Battery	Material			Chemical Reaction
		Cathode	Anode	Electrolyte
1	Lithium Cobalt Oxide	Cobalt oxide (CoO2)	Graphite carbon (C6)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction CoO2 + Li+ + e- → LiCoO2 Oxidation LiC6 → C6 + Li+ + e- LiC6 + CoO2 ⇄ C6 + LiCoO2
2	Lithium Manganese Oxide	Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4)	Graphite carbon (C6)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction Mn2O4 + Li+ + e- → LiMn2O4 Oxidation LiC6 → C6 + Li+ + e- LiC6 + Mn2O4 ⇄ C6 + LiMn2O4
3	Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide	Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Ni-Mn-Co)	Graphite carbon (C6)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction NiMn2CoO4 + Li+ + e- → LiNiMn2CoO4 Oxidation LiC6 → C6 + Li+ + e- LiC6 + NiMn2CoO4 ⇄ C6 + LiNiMn2CoO4
4	Lithium Iron Phosphate	Lithium Iron Phosphate (FePO4)	Graphite carbon (C6)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction FePO4 + Li+ + e- → LiFePO4 Oxidation LiC6 → C6 + Li+ + e- LiC6 + FePO4 ⇄ C6 + LiFePO4
5	Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide	Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide (LiNiCoAlO2)	Graphite carbon (C6)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction NiCoAlO2 + Li+ + e- → LiNiCoAlO2 Oxidation LiC6 → C6 + Li+ + e- LiC6 + NiCoAlO2 ⇄ C6 + LiNiCoAlO2
6	Lithium Titanate	Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4)	Titanate (Li2TiO3)	Lithium Salt (LiPF6)	Reduction Mn2O4 + Li+ + e- → LiMn2O4 Oxidation Li2TiO3 → TiO3 + 2Li+ + e- Li2TiO3 + Mn2O4 ⇄ TiO3 + LiMn2O4

2.Compare the differences between each type of Li+ion batteries based on their characteristics

Answer:

Baatery characteristic as below:

Specific energy: This defines the battery capacity in weight (Wh/kg). The capacity relates to the runtime. Products requiring long runtimes at moderate load are optimized for high specific energy.

Specific power: It's the ability to deliver a high current and indicates loading capability. Batteries for power tools are made for high specific power and come with a reduced specific energy.

Performance: This measures how well the battery works over a wide range of temperatures. Most batteries are sensitive to heat and cold and require climate control. Heat reduces life, and cold lowers performance temporarily.

Lifespan: This reflects cycle life and longevity and is related to factors such as temperature, depth of discharge, and load. Hot climates accelerate capacity loss. Cobalt blended lithium-ion batteries also usually have a graphite anode that limits the cycle life.

Safety: This relates to factors such as the thermal stability of the materials used in the batteries. The materials should have the ability to sustain high temperatures before becoming unstable. Instability can lead to thermal runaway in which flaming gases are vented. Fully charging the battery and keeping it beyond the designated age reduces safety.

Cost: Demand for electric vehicles has generally been lower than anticipated, mainly due to the cost of lithium-ion batteries. Hence cost is a huge factor when selecting the type of lithium-ion battery.

Lithium-ion battery Types	Specific Power	Specific Energy	Safety	Life Span	Cost	Performance
Lithium Cobalt Oxide	Low	high	Low	Low	Low	Medium
Lithium Manganese Oxide	Medium	Medium	Medium	Low	Low	Low
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide	Medium	High	Medium	Medium	Low	Medium
Lithium Iron Phosphate	High	Low	High	High	Low	Medium
Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide	Medium	high	Low	Medium	Medium	Medium
Lithium Titanate	Medium	Low	High	High	High	High