Will the Expansion of Lithium-ion Battery Drive the Demand of Violet Tungsten Oxide?

The other day, the announcement of the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry not only let us know the names of the three chemists, but also let us start to pay attention to lithium-ion batteries, understand their past and present lives, and focus on the lithium battery industry. By the way, have a melon and see what's going on in this raw material fight? Will it keep heating up?

2019 nobel prize winners in chemistry picture

In 1991, lithium-ion batteries entered the market for the first time. Since then, it has changed human life. Nowadays, smart phones, laptops, pure electric vehicles and batteries are all inseparable from this light, rechargeable and powerful battery. This is thanks to their great contribution to the research and development of lithium-ion batteries.

Some say they have started the process of portable electronic devices. Some say they have created a "rechargeable world.". Others call them "people who redefine the future".

They are the winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: American scientist John B. goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Japanese scientist Akira Yoshino.

Among them: Whittingham successfully made the first lithium battery in 1970. In 1979, goodenaf discovered the cathode material lithium cobaltic acid, which makes the lithium-ion battery more efficient and safer. Later, he discovered the sharp attack spinel and lithium iron phosphate. Yosano Chang, on the other side of the earth, is improving the performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries after establishing the basic framework. After that, the lithium-ion battery invented by goodinaf and Yosano Zhang was put on the market by Sony in 1991. It has to be said that goodinaf broke the Nobel Prize winner's age record at the time of award. This year, he is 97 years old. He is a solid-state physicist in the United States and an important scholar in the secondary battery industry. He is also recognized as the "father of lithium-ion batteries" in the world.

violet tungsten oxide picture

According to foreign media reports, the global demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to expand. This will bring new business opportunities to the field of raw materials. However, the supply of main raw materials is limited. Therefore, new and old competitors have started to invest in mines, and a complex battle has been set off. There are business houses and resource enterprises.

But because of the uneven distribution of raw materials. What kind of inequality According to the U.S. Geological Survey, in 2018, Australia led lithium production, followed by Chile and China. In terms of reserves, Chile is far ahead, followed by Australia and Argentina. Although the global annual production of lithium increased last year, cross-border enterprises such as battery enterprises and IT enterprises began to purchase raw materials directly.

They're trying to take the lead. For example, Softbank group of Japan, which advocates "information revolution" and actively invests in artificial intelligence and mobile travel, has taken a fancy to the development potential of lithium-ion battery, which is indispensable for pure electric vehicles. It invested about 8 billion yen in April last year and obtained 9.9% equity of nimasca lithium.

In addition, a violet tungsten oxide, which can be used as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries, will it join in the battle of continuously rising raw materials?

Last year, Toshiba materials exhibited violet tungsten oxide, a cathode material for ultra fast charging lithium-ion batteries. According to the literature, violet tungsten oxide is a tungsten oxide product developed in recent years in China. Its chemical formula is WO2.72, and its phase composition is W18O49. Its appearance is purple fine crystalline powder. Nowadays, as a new type of battery material, violet tungsten is expected to be used in automobiles, mini / light hybrid trains, elevators, ups and high current power supply.

According to the official website of Toshiba materials, violet tungsten oxide has very high chemical activity, which can enhance the electronic conductivity. Due to its low internal resistance and excellent Li ion diffusion, the battery can be charged and discharged with high current by using violet tungsten oxide as negative electrode. Especially in low temperature environment, the discharge characteristics are excellent, and even at - 40 ℃, it still has the rate characteristics equal to or higher than the discharge characteristics of double-layer capacitors. Previously, the rate characteristics of Li ion secondary battery and Li ion capacitor at low temperature have not been solved.

 

 

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