Of all environmental factors, temperature has a significant impact on battery charge and discharge performance. The electrochemical reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface are closely related to the operating temperature, making this interface the core of the battery. At low temperatures, the viscosity of the electrolyte decreases significantly, reducing conductivity and activity of the active materials. This widens the electrolyte concentration gradient, increases electrode polarization, and causes charging to stop earlier. More importantly, the diffusion rate of lithium ions at the carbon anode slows down, increasing the likelihood of lithium deposition. Lower temperatures also reduce electrode reaction rates. Assuming a constant battery voltage, a significant decrease in discharge current will also reduce the battery's power output.
Currently, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are the most widely used batteries in pure electric vehicles. These batteries offer high safety and a long lifespan, but they also have a critical drawback: their low-temperature performance is slightly worse than other battery technologies. At low temperatures, the lithium intercalation rate in graphite decreases significantly, making it easier for metallic lithium to precipitate on the negative electrode surface. If the battery is put into use without sufficient rest after charging, the metallic lithium cannot be fully intercalated back into the graphite, leaving some on the negative electrode surface, potentially leading to lithium dendrite formation and compromising battery safety. Furthermore, at low temperatures, the electrolyte viscosity increases, and the lithium-ion transfer resistance also expands. In addition, the binder is a crucial factor in the LFP manufacturing process, and low temperatures significantly impact its performance. Let's take a look at how low temperatures affect lithium batteries and what impact they have, together with our low-temperature nickel-metal hydride battery manufacturer.
The effect of low temperature on lithium batteries
While both are lithium batteries, lithium titanate batteries exhibit superior low-temperature performance. The spinel-structured lithium titanate anode material has a lithium intercalation potential of approximately 1.5V, preventing lithium dendrite formation, and its volumetric stress-strain during charging and discharging is less than 1%. Nanoscale lithium titanate batteries can be charged and discharged at high currents, achieving fast charging at low temperatures while ensuring battery performance and safety. For example, Yinlong New Energy, a company specializing in lithium titanate batteries, has products capable of normal charging and discharging at temperatures ranging from -50 to 60°C. Lithium titanate batteries possess material advantages, allowing for fast charging even at low temperatures—a capability that is difficult for other battery materials to replicate.
Benefits and uses of low-temperature lithium batteries
1. Low-temperature lithium batteries possess advantages such as light weight, high energy density, and long lifespan, making them widely used in various electronic products and instruments. Among these, low-temperature polymer lithium-ion batteries also offer advantages such as simple and clear packaging design, easy modification of the battery's three-dimensional geometry, ultra-light and ultra-thin design, and high safety performance, making them a popular power source for many mobile electronic products.
2. Ordinary civilian batteries cannot be used at -20℃, while low-temperature lithium batteries can still be used normally at -50℃. Currently, low-temperature batteries are generally used in environments at or below ℃. Besides communication power supplies, mobile chargers, signal switching power supplies, and drive power supplies for small and medium-sized power equipment also require low-temperature batteries. These switching power supplies also have low-temperature performance requirements when operating in the field.
3. Low-temperature lithium batteries are widely used due to their advantages such as light weight, high energy density and long life. Low-temperature lithium batteries are made of special materials and processes and are suitable for use in cold environments below zero.
4. my country's ongoing spaceflight, Mars exploration, and lunar exploration programs all utilize cryogenic nickel-metal hydride batteries or cryogenic nickel-metal hydride batteries. Therefore, the development of cryogenic batteries is of great significance to the development of national defense and aerospace industries.
