The lithium battery industry chain is an industry chain system with a high degree of specialization and clear division of labor, which mainly includes the following links:
1. Upstream: mining and processing of raw material resources
Mineral resources: lithium, cobalt, graphite, etc. are key raw materials required for lithium battery production. The mining and processing of these resources constitute the upstream part of the lithium battery industry chain. Lithium mineral resources are mainly distributed all over the world, including the "lithium triangle" in South America and Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Jiangxi and other provinces in China.
2. Midstream: lithium battery materials and lithium battery manufacturing
Key materials:
Cathode materials: such as lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary composite materials, etc. The cathode material is the part with the highest cost in lithium batteries, and its performance and cost directly affect the overall performance of lithium batteries.
Cathode materials: such as graphite, mesophase carbon microspheres, nitrides, lithium titanate, etc. The performance of the cathode material has an important influence on key indicators such as the energy density and cycle life of lithium batteries.
Electrolyte: The electrolyte plays the role of transferring ions in lithium batteries and has an important influence on the performance and safety of lithium batteries.
Diaphragm: Diaphragm is one of the key components in lithium batteries, which plays the role of isolating positive and negative electrodes and preventing short circuits.
Other materials: such as tabs, shells, conductive agents, solvents, adhesives, etc., these materials also play an important role in the manufacturing process of lithium batteries.
Lithium battery manufacturing: The midstream part also includes the manufacture and assembly of battery cells. Battery cells are the core part of lithium batteries, consisting of positive electrodes, negative electrodes, electrolytes and diaphragms. The manufacture of battery cells requires high-precision processes and equipment to ensure the performance and safety of lithium batteries.
3. Downstream: Application and recycling of lithium batteries
Application areas:
New energy vehicles: New energy vehicles are one of the largest application areas of lithium batteries. With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the demand for lithium batteries is also increasing.
Energy storage system: Energy storage system is another important application area of lithium batteries. Energy storage systems can store electrical energy and release electrical energy when needed to meet the peak load and frequency regulation needs of the power grid.
Consumer electronics: Consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, etc. are also important application areas of lithium batteries. These products require lightweight, long-lasting batteries to support their normal operation.
Recycling: Lithium batteries have high recycling value. For retired batteries in good condition, they can be used in a cascade manner; for scrapped batteries in poor condition, they can be recycled to extract resources such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. This will play a positive role in the sustainable development of the lithium-ion battery industry.
The lithium battery industry chain includes multiple links such as upstream raw material resource mining and processing, midstream lithium battery materials and lithium battery manufacturing, and downstream lithium battery application and recycling. These links are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, and together constitute a complete chain of the lithium battery industry.