Lithium iron phosphate
material for lithium battery cathodes
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is an inorganic compound with the formula LiFePO4. It is a gray, green, or black solid that is insoluble in water.
Lithium iron phosphate is used as a positive electrode material (cathode) of lithium iron phosphate batteries, a type of Li-ion battery. The negative electrode (anode) material for these batteries is typically graphite. This battery chemistry is used in power tools, electric vehicles, solar energy installations and large grid-scale energy storage.
Lithium iron phosphate exists naturally in the form of the mineral triphylite, but as found naturally, this material has insufficient purity for use in batteries. Thus, battery-grade LFP powder must be synthesized.
History
Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough first identified the polyanion class of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. LiFePO4 was then identified as a battery cathode material in this class in 1996 by Padhi, Nanjundaswamy, and Goodenough. This work demonstrated reversible extraction of lithium from LiFePO4 and insertion of lithium into FePO4.
“Lithium iron phosphate” enters the record as material for lithium battery cathodes. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Lithium, iron and phosphate can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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