Lithium-ion battery anode materials can be divided into two main categories based on the active material used: carbon materials and non-carbon materials.
Carbon-based materials encompass two main routes: graphite materials (natural graphite, artificial graphite, and mesophase carbon spheres) and other carbon-based materials (hard carbon, soft carbon, and graphene). Graphene anode materials can be further categorized into natural graphite, artificial graphite, composite graphite, and mesophase carbon microspheres. The upstream source for natural graphite anode materials is natural graphite ore, while the upstream source for artificial graphite anode materials includes raw materials such as needle coke, petroleum coke, and pitch coke.
Non-carbon materials can be further divided into titanium-based materials, silicon-based materials, tin-based materials, nitrides, and metallic lithium, etc.
As one of the key materials for lithium-ion batteries, the negative electrode material accounts for about 10% of the cost of lithium batteries. It is mainly composed of a mixture of negative electrode active material, binder and additives, which is then uniformly coated on both sides of copper foil and dried and rolled. It plays the role of reversibly de-intercalating/de-intercalating lithium ions and storing energy. It is the electrode in the lithium-ion battery that undergoes the oxidation reaction and plays a decisive role in the charging and discharging efficiency, energy density and other performance of lithium-ion batteries. It is one of the key materials for lithium batteries.
China is already a major global producer of anode materials. Currently, the global lithium-ion battery anode material industry is highly concentrated, primarily in China, Japan, and South Korea.
In terms of trends, the replacement of natural graphite with artificial graphite is inevitable. China has a cost advantage in artificial graphite (in high-power-consuming industries, similar to polysilicon, the cost is at least 20% cheaper than that of Japan and South Korea). Chinese artificial graphite anodes will monopolize the global market. The anode is the sector that will benefit most from the increased battery production of overseas companies such as LG in the lithium battery materials industry.
Artificial graphite is widely used in mid-range EVs and 3C products, becoming the mainstream choice for lithium battery anode materials; natural graphite is mainly used in low-end EVs, energy storage, and 3C products.
Silicon-based materials are the preferred choice for next-generation anode materials. Since the theoretical upper limit of energy density for graphite anode materials is 372 mAh/g, while leading companies in the industry have already achieved an energy density of 365 mAh/g, approaching the theoretical limit, the potential for future improvement is extremely limited, necessitating the search for next-generation alternatives.
In comparison, silicon's theoretical capacity density can reach 4200 mAh/g, far exceeding that of graphite-based materials. It also boasts advantages such as environmental friendliness, abundant reserves, and lower cost. Therefore, silicon-based anode materials are considered the preferred choice for next-generation high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode materials. However, as an anode material, silicon also has serious drawbacks. Lithium-ion intercalation leads to severe volume expansion, damaging the battery structure and causing a rapid decline in battery capacity. Moreover, the current market price of silicon-carbon anode materials exceeds 150,000 yuan/ton, twice that of artificial graphite anode materials.
