Breakthrough battery lithium manganese iron phosphate cell chemistry allows increase
Battery material company Integrals Power has developed a lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery that allows electric vehicles to travel up to 20% further. Integrals Power achieved this by applying its propriety materials technology and manufacturing process to prevent the decrease in capacity when manganese volume is increased.
Cathode active materials which support higher voltages and high energy density are created through this process, allowing electric vehicles up to 20% further range or can allow batteries to become smaller and lighter.
Behnam Hormozi, Integrals Power founder and CEO, said: “The challenge that the automotive industry has been trying to overcome for some time is to push up the percentage of manganese in LMFP cells to a high level while retaining the same specific capacity as LFP. Using traditional methods the more manganese you add, the more specific capacity drops, and this has meant it can’t deliver a high energy density.”
The best attributes of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries are combined. The LFPs low cost, long cycle life, and good low-temperature performance whilst resulting in an energy density comparable with nickel cobalt manganese chemistries.
Hormozi added: “Our proprietary materials and patented production processes have enabled us to overcome this trade-off and increase manganese content to 80 per cent, placing us at the cutting edge of LMFP chemistry. With the third-party evaluation from the Energy team at GEIC, we’re proud to have developed a world-class cell material in the UK that can rival the performance of NCM but is more sustainable and more affordable, and will accelerate the transition to e-mobility.”
Manganese features at 80% in LMFP instead of 50% to 70% as typical in competing materials. LMFP has a higher specific capacity of 150mAh/g and gives a voltage of 4.1V instead of LFPs 3.45V.
Nicky Savjani, GEIC’s applications manager in energy said: “The dedicated team in the GEIC Energy labs provides comprehensive support in battery materials development and evaluation, bridging academic innovations and industry appetite to push next-generation technologies towards commercialisation. Our GEIC Energy facility, combined with its dedicated team of battery engineers, is driving the push for decarbonising the transport sector and reinforcing the UK’s leadership in developing sustainable battery technologies.”
Graphene engineering innovation centre (GEIC) was used by third parties to test the material. Coin cells have been evaluated using EV-representative pouch cells and will soon be available for cell suppliers, battery manufacturers, and OEMs to evaluate.
Savjani added: “The battery cells we produced using Integral Power’s LMFP materials exhibited competitive specific capacity during testing, highlighting their potential to enhance EV efficiency and reduce costs by increasing range.”
The LMFP cathode was developed and produced in its UK facility along with the LFP chemistry. The UK's capacity to manufacture batteries is highly important to the sustainable domestic battery industry and the transition to zero emissions, especially with the 2030 ban on combustion engine vehicle sales approaching.
Raw materials for LFP and LMFP are sourced from Europe and North America by Integrals Powers to provide a high-performance and purer material. These materials have a greater energy density compared to Chinese-manufactured cathode materials according to Intergrals Power. Currently, Chinese-made cathode materials account for 90% of worldwide supply.
