In October 2024, the price of lithium carbonate, a core raw material in the battery industry, began to decline on the first day after the holiday, continuing the pre-holiday upward sentiment. Data shows that the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate fell from 77,250 yuan/mt to 73,700 yuan/mt, a decrease of 4.5%. Meanwhile, the price of industrial-grade lithium carbonate also dropped from 73,100 yuan/mt to 69,550 yuan/mt, a decrease of 4.8%.
However, the decline in lithium carbonate prices did not fully lead to a reduction in LiPF6 prices. As an important electrolyte material for lithium batteries, the price of LiPF6 rose from 54,875 yuan/mt to 55,125 yuan/mt in October, an increase of 0.45%, due to the high price of its raw material lithium fluoride at the beginning of the month and the strong sentiment to stand firm on quotes by LiPF6 producers.
Although market prices slightly increased in October, overall, they still showed minor fluctuations. These fluctuations reflected the market's uncertainty about future demand and the cautious attitude of producers in price adjustments. At the beginning of the month, LiPF6 prices slightly increased due to the high price of lithium fluoride. Although lithium fluoride prices began to decline in mid-month, LiPF6 sellers had a strong sentiment to stand firm on quotes, so prices remained relatively stable. At the end of the month, influenced by the price increase of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and phosphorus pentachloride, LiPF6 prices slightly increased, resulting in an overall upward trend of 0.45% in October.
However, the future price trend still needs to pay attention to the global economic situation and changes in industry supply and demand to better grasp market dynamics. Overall, the market still maintains a certain degree of flexibility to cope with possible future fluctuations.
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