Lithium ion battery is the most commonly used battery type in the energy storage industry and even in most electronic devices. It consists of five parts: cathode material, anode material, diaphragm and electrolyte and battery shell, among which the cathode material has a significant impact on battery performance and cost. According to the different cathode materials, lithium-ion batteries can be divided into lithium manganese acid（LiMn₂O₄）, lithium cobalt acid（LiCoO₂）, lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4（LiFePO₄）, ternary lithium Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries Li (NiCoMn) O2  and other types.

As the two main sources for power station, Li （NiCoMn） O2 battery and LiFePO4 battery have been concerned by the users in the differences, the advantages and disadvantages. In this case, what’s the differences between Li （NiCoMn） O2 battery and LiFePO4 battery?  

Also known as "ternary lithiumLi (NiCoMn) O2 polymer", Li (NiCoMn) O2 battery is a lithium battery using lithium nickel cobalt manganate (Li (NiCoMn) O2) ternary cathode material, while cathode material of LiFePO4 battery  adopts" LiFePO4".

 Both Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries and  LiFePO4 batteries are widely studied and applied to a lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, We have to understand the characteristics (advantages and disadvantages) of the two battery type before we buy the power station.

 Li (NiCoMn) O2 battery and LiFePO4  battery comparison

 1、Safety

 The  majority risks of lithium battery safetyare derived from thermal runaway. When the Li (NiCoMn) O2 battery  temperature is A 200 ℃, its internal chemical composition will begin to decompose which may cause spontaneous combustion and self- explosion.  Therefore,  the requirements of the battery management system is very high. In contrast,  LiFePO4 thermal stability is much better, the battery will decompose under the temperature of about 800 ℃. Its high safety factor makes sure that it is not easy to explode even with a collision and puncture. However, the consistency between cells in battery pack is poor and the performance is unstable, which will bring  a sudden precipitous drop in battery capacity.

 2、Low Temperature Range

  Under -20 ℃ low-temperature environment, Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries can still release 70% of the battery capacity, the lower limit of its use in low temperature for -30 ℃; while the capacity of LiFePO4  will decay to about 55%.  In this situration the performance of (NiCoMn) O2 batteries in low temperature is much better.

 3、Energy Density / Range

 In the same battery volume, the higher the energy density, the longer the cycle life. Li (NiCoMn) O2 battery cell voltage is high, energy density per kilogram up to 240Wh/kg, but also by adjusting the different ratios of nickel, cobalt and manganese to further improve energy density. The energy density of  LiFePO4 is about 140Wh/kg, that is, under the same battery weight standard, the energy density of Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries is 1.7 times that of  LiFePO4, assembly of Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries will have a more durable range.

 4、 Cycle Life

 Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries are chemically active, charge and discharge cycle life of about 600-~1000 times. On the contrary, LiFePO4 battery composition is relatively stable, and the capacity is reduced to 80% of original capacity after  up to 2000 ~3500 times of charge and discharge , high recycling value.

 5、Cost

 Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries are made of a variety of precious metal elements, including nickel, cobalt, manganese. with high material costs and the need for a strict process environment. However, the LiFePO4 batteries do not contain nickel, cobalt and other precious metal elements. The raw materials are easy to purchase, so that the production cost is relatively low.

 How to choose?

The tributary lithium batteries are lightweight, high charging efficiency, low temperature resistance.And the LiFePO4 batteries have high safety performance, long service life and high temperature resistance. Both batteries have their own advantages and markets, there is no complete good or bad. Therefore, it should be based on the   the safety, cycle life, range and other aspects of comprehensive consideration when choosing which type of battery

 1、Safety

 Power battery safety is actually a system engineering, not just based on the characteristics of the battery . With the development of technology, the battery management system is also improving, the production of products has a strict inspection and manufacturing technique, which ensures the safety of products. Therefore  we should  pay more attention to whether the product has a BMS, over-temperature protection, overcharge protection and other protection functions when buying power station.

 2、Sustainability

 If the climate in your area will be below 0 ℃, it is recommended to choose  Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries, for the capacity of LiFePO4 batteries  is easier to fade in low-temperature environment

 3、 Cycle Life

 Theoretically, the cycle life of LiFePO4 batteries is higher than Li (NiCoMn) O2 batteries. However, the cycle life of both battery type can basically meet the daily need with reasonable maintenance of battery and optimization design of power station.   

 In a word, both Li (NiCoMn) O2 battery and LiFePO4 battery have advantages and disadvantages. You should take the specification and performance in consideation when choose the power stations with which battery type.