SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) - Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) is currently the most commonly used lithium salt for electrolytes that can conduct lithium ions in lithium batteries.
Apart from LiPF6, lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, or LiFSI in short, is also a high-profile lithium salt and has been perceived as a potential alternative to LiPF6. However, at last year’s Electrolyte Industry Summit held by SMM, some experts said that LiFSI is more a complement rather than an alternative to LiPF6.
In retrospect of LiFSI development, Dr Michel Armand was the first to suggest that the lithium salt can be used in electrolyte for new lithium-ion batteries in 1995, But LiFSI was not widely used because of its corrosive effects on equipment during the production process until 2012, when Nippon Shokubai was the first to establish LiFSI production process before its industrialisation was realised in 2013.
Around 2015, Chinese enterprises began to devote themselves to the research on the industrialization of LiFSI in China.
According to SMM research, as many as 30 Chinese companies have released their LiFSI mass production layouts on public channels.
Representative enterprises that have already put the capacity into production include Tianci Materials, Shenzhen Capchem Technology, DFD, Yongtai Technology, Kangpeng Technology, Suzhou Fluolyte, CATL-Sicong, etc.
It is estimated that the total planned LiFSI capacity (solid) will reach 400,000 mt by 2025, with liquid capacity regarded as three times of the solid one.
The production capacity of each company is shown below, and the capacity is counted all in solid form.
Nowadays, LiFSI is used in electrolytes only in small quantities as an additive to improve battery magnification and its low-temperature performance.
It is used more in 48V start-stop power supplies and in projects in low temperature regions overseas.
Whether the planned LiFSI capacity mentioned above will be actually released, it is up to the future market demand on the one hand, and the construction speed and mass production capacity of enterprises on the other.
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