At the University of Austin in Texas, lithium iron phosphate was discovered in 1996. Several teams of researchers worked on studying this compound, which is characterized by a high charge/discharge rate, good safety, and low cost. With all this, improving the electrochemical performance of lithium iron phosphate is still essential. Also, compared to its theoretical capacity, its practical capacity is smaller in value.
Depending on the applications and their requirements, researchers nowadays connect lithium iron phosphate with silicon/carbon composites, titanium oxide, and graphite, for Li-ion batteries from 1mAh to 100 Ah.
- Most technical advancements aimed at high voltage systems continue to prioritize the electrolyte as their development path. Associated with a high voltage material capable of compensating for the drop caused by the cathode, the current effort focuses on titanium-based compounds. The researchers expect that a 20 to 30 percent increase in energy density will be provided by the different polyanionic families of compounds studied, compared to the energy density provided by lithium iron phosphate.
It will soon be able to achieve the 250 Wh/ Kg necessary for new applications that are increasingly energy-intensive thanks to the stabilization of high voltage systems or the development of lamellar oxides with reversible capacities larger than 200 Wh/Kg. These substances herald the creation of accumulators reaching 300 Wh/Kg in connection with stabilized silicon/carbon composites.
References:
Les matériaux au cœur du processus d'innovation- Clefs CEA No 59.