In today's booming development of new energy vehicles, whoever achieves a major breakthrough in power lithium-ion battery technology will be able to trigger a wave of industry transformation and gain a leading edge in the new era of mobility. Currently, research on batteries can be broadly categorized into solid-state batteries, fuel cell lithium batteries, and "cobalt-free batteries." These three types of batteries have indeed seen small breakthroughs in recent years, with "cobalt-free batteries" being the most promising.
Why develop "cobalt-free batteries"?
1. High Cobalt Price: Data shows that in 2018, the total proven global cobalt reserves were only 7.1 million tons. A single Tesla Model 3's lithium-ion battery may use over 10 kg of cobalt. Therefore, without considering recycling, the world could face a "cobalt-free" situation by 2026 at the latest. This makes cobalt extremely expensive, accounting for approximately 10% of the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
2. Cobalt mining issues: Of the 7.1 million tons of cobalt already proven, 52% is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the Congo has a chaotic political situation and serious problems with illegal labor and child labor, which are inhumane. Musk even described ternary lithium-ion batteries as "blood-stained batteries." Therefore, from all perspectives, "cobalt-free batteries" are something everyone should strive to develop.
3. As a scarce resource, cobalt's price fluctuations will significantly impact the price of ternary lithium batteries. If the production of new energy vehicles increases further, it means that cobalt prices may surge again. Battery manufacturers such as CATL, Panasonic, and LG Chem are all striving to make their batteries cobalt-free, but this has not yet been achieved.
4. Cobalt-free batteries not only improve electrical performance, extend lifespan, and enhance safety, but also reduce costs, eliminating reliance on cobalt for cathode materials. In existing ternary lithium-ion power batteries, cathode materials account for 30% to 45% of the cost. Taking the 523 system as an example, cobalt accounts for 20% of the cost. As a strategic resource, fluctuations in cobalt prices directly impact the final cell cost.
Cobalt-free batteries VS graphene battery technology
Currently, many battery suppliers and automakers are focusing on cobalt-free batteries as their future development direction. This is also one of the key methods to effectively reduce the cost of ternary lithium-ion batteries in the short term, and it is generally considered a reliable approach. However, some automakers are choosing to take a different path, hoping to make a splash, such as GAC New Energy's recently announced graphene battery.
Previously, Samsung and other companies announced plans to develop graphene batteries, but all ultimately failed. To date, there is no truly graphene-based lithium-ion battery on the market. Only BYD's Qin and Tang models utilize graphene modification (the process of adding graphene powder to electrode materials) to act as a conductive additive. Even so, the manufacturing process is extremely demanding, resulting in this technology remaining relatively uncommon.
Currently, almost all commercial lithium-ion batteries use graphite-based anode materials. With similar anode performance, the performance of lithium-ion batteries largely depends on the cathode material. Therefore, graphene can be used in either the cathode or anode in a battery. However, since graphene costs thousands of times more than traditional materials, no manufacturer would replace the entire electrode material with graphene. Therefore, graphene batteries are practically nonexistent; only lithium-ion batteries/lead-acid batteries that incorporate or use graphene exist.
In simple terms, there are two key points to cobalt-free battery cells: First, by doping with specific elements that have no unpaired electron spin, the phenomenon of electron superexchange is weakened, thereby reducing the mixing of lithium/nickel elements; second, by doping with elements with high MO bond energy, the volume change of the crystal during charging and discharging is slowed down, which serves to stabilize the structure.
Regardless of how battery technology evolves, its fundamental goal remains the same: to make electric vehicles charge faster, be safer, and have longer ranges. The emergence of multiple approaches demonstrates that there is still no optimal solution among current technologies. Domestically, we hope to find ways to achieve a leapfrog development and encourage greater imagination—this is the driving force behind human progress.
