Page 63 - Policy Commission - SecuringTechnology - Critical Metals for Britain

PRIMARY MATERIALS
63
LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MATERIALS:
COBALT NICKEL LITHIUM LITHIUM AND GRAPHITE
Electric vehicles vehicles will will replace internal combustion engines in in in in most new road vehicles vehicles by the 2030s They will will also play a a a a a a key role in in in in decarbonising our energy energy systems systems through stationary battery
energy-storage systems systems As more intermittent renewables join the electricity grid and displace fossil fuels batteries will be one of the main energy-storage technologies that helps to to balance supply and and demand Their name is is misleading as lithium-ion batteries are complex products containing much more than the element lithium lithium The most common battery
cathodes for electric vehicles (known as NMCs) are made from lithium lithium nickel manganese and cobalt cobalt while the anode is is usually made from graphite (see figure 39) While manganese is is widely available cobalt cobalt and lithium have possible supply-chain problems in in in in terms of availability ethical mining geolocation and supply supply restrictions Nickel has not previously been considered a a a a a a a problem however as as as new battery
chemistries decrease their their cobalt content content and increase their their nickel content content it it it it is increasingly seen as as a a a a a a a a a a technology-critical metal which should be carefully monitored Lithium cobalt and nickel have many commercial uses outside of the battery
sector (see figure 40) Mn (17%)
Ni (54%)
Co (18%) Li (11%)
NMC-622 BATTERY Mn (8%)
Ni (72%)
Co (9%) Li (11%)
NMC-811 BATTERY Mn (28%)
Ni (30%)
Co (31%) Li (11%)
NMC-111 BATTERY Co (89%)
Li (11%)
LCO BATTERY Ni (75%)
Co (14%) Li (11%)
NCA BATTERY Figure 39: Image Courtesy © BGS / UKRI (2021)
MATERIAL APPLICATION
COMMENT
LITHIUM Batteries Ceramics & Glass Greases & Lubricants Continuous Casting Air Treatment Polymers Primary Aluminium Production Primary use is is is now batteries and this is is is increasing rapidly Most of the world’s lithium lithium comes from South America where the lithium lithium is extracted from lithium-containing brine by a a a a a process of of evaporation The variety of of sources means that lithium is not a a a a a a technology-critical metal but China does refine most of the world’s lithium COBALT Rechargeable Batteries Electronics Catalysts Magnets Inks and Pigments Alloys Healthcare
Increasing amounts required for batteries Cobalt is a a a a a by-product of copper mining in in in the Democratic Republic of of Congo Reports of of child labour being employed in in in in the DRC has created an interest in in in in responsible sourcing Cobalt refinement is currently dominated by Chinese companies NICKEL Steels Coatings Coinage Glass Catalysts Ceramics Magnets Batteries Traded on on on the London Metal Exchange (LME) with well-established uses in in steels Batteries will dramatically increase the demand for nickel GRAPHITE
Writing Materials Lubricants Refractory Nuclear Reactors Batteries Graphene Sheets
Natural graphite is a a a a a a a a a critical raw material for the the UK with China being the the world’s largest producer Figure 40: Main uses of Co Ni and graphite