{ "node": { "id": "term:cathode-active-material", "type": "Term", "label": "Cathode active material", "properties": { "id": "cathode-active-material", "name": "Cathode active material", "abbr": "CAM", "section": "topic-components", "definition": "The lithium-containing compound in the positive electrode — NMC, NCA, LFP or LCO powder — that supplies the cell’s cyclable lithium. It is the most expensive material in most cells and sets the nominal voltage and much of the energy density.", "related": [ "active-material", "nmc", "lfp", "precursor", "specific-capacity" ], "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cathode-active-material/", "mentions": [ "electrode", "positive-electrode", "nominal-voltage", "energy-density" ] } }, "edges": [ { "id": "edge:belongsTo/term:cathode-active-material/topic:topic-components", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "topic:topic-components", "type": "belongsTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json" } }, { "id": "edge:relatedTo/term:cathode-active-material/term:active-material", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:active-material", "type": "relatedTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:relatedTo/term:cathode-active-material/term:nmc", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:nmc", "type": "relatedTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:relatedTo/term:cathode-active-material/term:lfp", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:lfp", "type": "relatedTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:relatedTo/term:cathode-active-material/term:precursor", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:precursor", "type": "relatedTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:relatedTo/term:cathode-active-material/term:specific-capacity", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:specific-capacity", "type": "relatedTo", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:mentions/cathode-active-material/electrode", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:electrode", "type": "mentions", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions", "field": "definition", "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:mentions/cathode-active-material/positive-electrode", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:positive-electrode", "type": "mentions", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions", "field": "definition", "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:mentions/cathode-active-material/nominal-voltage", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:nominal-voltage", "type": "mentions", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions", "field": "definition", "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:mentions/cathode-active-material/energy-density", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "term:energy-density", "type": "mentions", "properties": { "sourceFile": "terms.json", "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions", "field": "definition", "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim" } }, { "id": "edge:illustratedBy/term:cathode-active-material/visual:cathode-loading", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "visual:cathode-loading", "type": "illustratedBy", "properties": { "sourceFile": "visual-pages.json" } }, { "id": "edge:cites/term:cathode-active-material/reference:manthiram-cathodes", "source": "term:cathode-active-material", "target": "reference:manthiram-cathodes", "type": "cites", "properties": { "sourceFile": "wiki-references.json", "scope": "direct technical reference" } } ], "neighbors": [ { "id": "topic:topic-components", "type": "Topic", "label": "Cell components and electrode materials", "properties": { "id": "topic-components", "name": "Cell components and electrode materials", "lede": "What a cell is physically made of — active materials, binders, additives, foils and tabs — and how its electrodes are put together.", "context": "Connect each material with its function.", "example": "Electrons travel through additive, foil and tab; ions use electrolyte and separator pathways.", "lesson_url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-anatomy/", "lesson_label": "Open cell anatomy" } }, { "id": "term:active-material", "type": "Term", "label": "Active material", "properties": { "id": "active-material", "name": "Active material", "abbr": "AM", "section": "topic-components", "definition": "The part of an electrode that actually stores lithium — graphite on the negative side, an oxide or phosphate on the positive. It makes up most of the electrode coating; the rest is binder and conductive additive.", "related": [ "cathode-active-material", "anode-active-material", "binder", "conductive-additive", "specific-capacity" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite", "example": { "title": "Choose a mass basis", "text": "A 100 g coating containing 95 g active material has different specific-capacity numbers when normalized to active mass versus total coating mass." }, "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/active-material/", "mentions": [ "electrode", "graphite", "coating" ] } }, { "id": "term:nmc", "type": "Term", "label": "NMC", "properties": { "id": "nmc", "name": "NMC", "aka": [ "NCM", "nickel manganese cobalt oxide", "LiNiMnCoO₂" ], "section": "topic-chemistries", "definition": "A family of layered-oxide positive electrode materials, LiNiₓMnᵧCo₁₋ₓ₋ᵧO₂, used in many electric-vehicle cells. Variants are named by their metal ratio: NMC811 has eight parts nickel to one each of manganese and cobalt.", "related": [ "cathode-active-material", "high-nickel", "nca", "lfp", "cobalt" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components", "example": { "title": "Read the composition label", "text": "NMC811 denotes nominal nickel:manganese:cobalt proportions of 8:1:1 in the transition-metal component, not 80% nickel by whole-cell mass." }, "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nmc/", "mentions": [ "electrode", "positive-electrode", "manganese" ] } }, { "id": "term:lfp", "type": "Term", "label": "LFP", "properties": { "id": "lfp", "name": "LFP", "aka": [ "lithium iron phosphate", "LiFePO₄" ], "section": "topic-chemistries", "definition": "A positive electrode material, LiFePO₄, giving cells a nominal voltage around 3.2 V, long cycle life and good thermal stability, but less energy per kilogram than nickel-rich oxides. Its flat voltage curve makes state of charge hard to read from voltage alone.", "related": [ "cathode-active-material", "nmc", "lmfp", "ocv-soc-curve", "cycle-life" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#voltage", "example": { "title": "Chemistry is not the whole datasheet", "text": "Two LFP products can differ in format, loading, capacity and current limits. Their cathode family alone does not make them interchangeable." }, "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/lfp/", "mentions": [ "electrode", "positive-electrode", "nominal-voltage", "discharge-curve", "state-of-charge" ] } }, { "id": "term:precursor", "type": "Term", "label": "Precursor cathode active material", "properties": { "id": "precursor", "name": "Precursor cathode active material", "abbr": "pCAM", "section": "topic-manufacturing", "definition": "The mixed nickel–manganese–cobalt hydroxide made by co-precipitation from metal sulfate solutions, before lithium is added. Its particle size and shape are set here and carried through to the finished NMC powder.", "related": [ "cathode-active-material", "calcination", "nmc", "nickel-sulfate" ], "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/precursor/", "mentions": [ "particle-size", "cobalt", "manganese" ] } }, { "id": "term:specific-capacity", "type": "Term", "label": "Specific capacity", "properties": { "id": "specific-capacity", "name": "Specific capacity", "section": "topic-ratings", "definition": "Charge stored per gram of active material, in mAh/g. It is the figure materials scientists quote: about 150–200 mAh/g for layered oxides, 160 for LFP, 372 theoretical for graphite and about 3600 for silicon.", "unit": "mAh/g", "related": [ "theoretical-capacity", "active-material", "specific-energy", "faradays-law" ], "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/specific-capacity/", "mentions": [ "milliampere-hour", "graphite" ] } }, { "id": "term:electrode", "type": "Term", "label": "Electrode", "properties": { "id": "electrode", "name": "Electrode", "section": "topic-components", "definition": "A solid conductor where the cell’s reaction happens, in contact with the electrolyte. A lithium-ion cell has a negative electrode and a positive electrode, each a porous coating on a metal foil.", "related": [ "negative-electrode", "positive-electrode", "porous-electrode", "current-collector" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components", "example": { "title": "Two transport paths", "text": "Electrons need connected solid paths to the collector; ions need electrolyte paths to reaction sites. More of one constituent displaces others at fixed volume." }, "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/electrode/", "mentions": [ "electrolyte", "coating" ] } }, { "id": "term:positive-electrode", "type": "Term", "label": "Positive electrode", "properties": { "id": "positive-electrode", "name": "Positive electrode", "section": "topic-components", "definition": "The electrode at the higher potential: a lithium metal oxide or phosphate coated on aluminium foil. It is the lithium source when a cell is built, and industry calls it the cathode.", "related": [ "cathode", "cathode-active-material", "negative-electrode", "aluminium-foil" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#anode-cathode", "example": { "title": "Polarity and reaction", "text": "The positive electrode retains its polarity label while its electrochemical reaction reverses between charge and discharge." }, "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/positive-electrode/", "mentions": [ "electrode" ] } }, { "id": "term:nominal-voltage", "type": "Term", "label": "Nominal voltage", "properties": { "id": "nominal-voltage", "name": "Nominal voltage", "section": "topic-ratings", "definition": "A representative average voltage of a cell over a full discharge, such as 3.6–3.7 V for an oxide/graphite cell or about 3.2 V for LFP/graphite. Multiplied by capacity, it gives nominal energy.", "unit": "V", "related": [ "nominal-energy", "open-circuit-voltage", "voltage-window", "lfp" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/capacity-and-c-rate/#energy", "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nominal-voltage/", "mentions": [ "graphite" ] } }, { "id": "term:energy-density", "type": "Term", "label": "Energy density", "properties": { "id": "energy-density", "name": "Energy density", "aka": [ "volumetric energy density" ], "section": "topic-ratings", "definition": "Stored energy per unit volume, in watt-hours per litre. It is the figure that matters when space is the constraint, as in a phone or under a car floor; high-energy cylindrical cells pass 700 Wh/L.", "unit": "Wh/L", "related": [ "specific-energy", "nominal-energy", "ragone-plot", "areal-loading" ], "lesson": "fundamentals/capacity-and-c-rate/#energy", "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/energy-density/", "mentions": [] } }, { "id": "visual:cathode-loading", "type": "Visual", "label": "Capacity and voltage set the cathode per kWh", "properties": { "title": "Capacity and voltage set the cathode per kWh", "summary": "The mass of cathode active material behind each kilowatt-hour falls as its specific capacity or voltage rises.", "readout": "1000 ÷ (175 mAh/g × 3.70 V) = 1.54 kg of cathode active material per kWh.", "formula": "m_CAM / E = 1000 / (Q_specific × V_nominal) kg per kWh", "note": "Cell-level design values, not material maximums. Utilisation, excess and coating losses are not included; a teardown measurement replaces this estimate.", "software": { "status": "reference", "label": "Reference concept", "body": "battery-core does not estimate a cell’s bill of materials. The Lemonergy closed-loop recycling study uses this relation to turn a fleet’s kWh into cathode metal when no teardown figure is entered.", "href": "../glossary/#topic-components" }, "html": "
Cathode per kWh against specific capacity
Cathode per kWh against specific capacitySpecific capacity (mAh/g) versus Cathode active material (kg/kWh). At the selected voltage; At 3.2 V (LFP-like). Interpretation follows the graphs.01000.8751301.751602.631903.5220Specific capacity (mAh/g)Cathode active material(kg/kWh)
At the selected voltageAt 3.2 V (LFP-like) (dashed)
" } }, { "id": "reference:manthiram-cathodes", "type": "Reference", "label": "A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry", "properties": { "title": "A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry", "publisher": "Nature Communications", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15355-0", "type": "Review article", "scope": "Layered oxides, spinels and polyanion cathodes; links between composition, structure and performance.", "year": 2020, "authors": [ "Arumugam Manthiram" ], "accessed": "2026-10-27" } } ] }