Lithium-ion Battery Development Process

In 1970, M.S.Whittingham of Exxon used titanium sulfide as the positive electrode material and metal lithium as the negative electrode material to make the first lithium battery. The positive electrode material of the lithium battery is manganese dioxide or thionyl chloride, and the negative electrode is lithium. After the battery assembly is completed, the battery has voltage and does not need to be charged. Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion Batteries) are developed from lithium batteries. For example, the button batteries used in cameras in the past belong to lithium batteries. This kind of battery can also be charged, but the cycle performance is not good. Lithium crystals are easy to form during the charging and discharging cycle, causing a short circuit inside the battery. Therefore, charging of this kind of battery is generally prohibited.
In 1982, R.R.Agarwal and J.R.Selman of the Illinois Institute of Technology discovered that lithium ions have the characteristics of intercalating graphite, and this process is fast and reversible. At the same time, the potential safety hazards of lithium batteries made of lithium metal have attracted much attention, so people try to make rechargeable batteries using the characteristics of lithium ions embedded in graphite. The first available Li-ion graphite electrode was successfully trialed by Bell Laboratories.
In 1983, M. Thackeray, J. Goodenough and others discovered that manganese spinel is an excellent positive electrode material with low price, stability and excellent conductivity and lithium-conducting properties. Its decomposition temperature is high, and its oxidation property is much lower than that of lithium cobalt oxide. Even if there is a short circuit or overcharge, it can avoid the danger of burning and explosion.
In 1989, A.Manthiram and J.Goodenough found that the positive electrode using polymeric anions would generate higher voltage.
In 1992, Sony Corporation of Japan invented a lithium battery with a carbon material as the negative electrode and a lithium-containing compound as the positive electrode. During the charge and discharge process, there is no metal lithium, only lithium ions, which is the lithium ion battery. Subsequently, lithium-ion batteries revolutionized the face of consumer electronics. This type of battery with lithium cobalt oxide as the cathode material is the main power source for portable electronic devices.
In 1996, Padhi and Goodenough found that phosphates with an olivine structure, such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), are safer than traditional cathode materials, especially high temperature resistance, and their overcharge resistance far exceeds that of traditional lithium-ion battery materials.
Throughout the history of battery development, we can see three characteristics of the current development of the world's battery industry. One is the rapid development of green and environmentally friendly batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, etc.; the other is the transformation of primary batteries into batteries, which is in line with sustainable Development strategy; the third is to further develop the battery in the direction of small, light and thin. Among commercialized rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the highest specific energy, especially polymer lithium-ion batteries, which can achieve thinner rechargeable batteries. It is precisely because lithium-ion batteries have high volume specific energy and mass specific energy, are rechargeable and non-polluting, and have the three major characteristics of the current battery industry development, so they have a rapid growth in developed countries. The development of telecommunications and information markets, especially the extensive use of mobile phones and notebook computers, has brought market opportunities for lithium-ion batteries. The polymer lithium-ion battery in the lithium-ion battery will gradually replace the liquid electrolyte lithium-ion battery and become the mainstream of the lithium-ion battery due to its unique advantages in safety. Polymer lithium-ion battery is known as "the battery of the 21st century", which will open up a new era of storage battery, and its development prospect is very optimistic.
In March 2015, Japan's Sharp and Professor Isao Tanaka of Kyoto University jointly successfully developed a lithium-ion battery with a service life of up to 70 years. The trial-produced long-life lithium-ion battery has a volume of 8 cubic centimeters and can be charged and discharged up to 25,000 times. And Sharp said that after the actual charge and discharge of this long-life lithium-ion battery 10,000 times, its performance is still stable.
On October 9, 2019, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that it would award the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino in recognition of their contributions to the research and development of lithium-ion batteries .
In the second quarter of 2022, the added value growth rate of lithium-ion batteries, electronic components, integrated circuits and other small industries will all exceed 20%.
From August 1, 2023, CCC certification management will be implemented for lithium-ion batteries and battery packs. From August 1, 2024, those who have not obtained the CCC certification and the certification mark are not allowed to leave the factory, sell, import or use in other business activities.