{
  "node": {
    "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"
      ]
    }
  },
  "edges": [
    {
      "id": "edge:354",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "topic:topic-components",
      "type": "belongsTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:355",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:cathode-active-material",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:356",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:anode-active-material",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:357",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:binder",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:358",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:conductive-additive",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:359",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:specific-capacity",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/active-material/electrode",
      "source": "term: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/active-material/graphite",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:graphite",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions",
        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/active-material/coating",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "term:coating",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions",
        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:363",
      "source": "term:active-material",
      "target": "lesson:fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
      "type": "explainedIn",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite"
      }
    }
  ],
  "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: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"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:anode-active-material",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Anode active material",
      "properties": {
        "id": "anode-active-material",
        "name": "Anode active material",
        "abbr": "AAM",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "The lithium host in the negative electrode: natural or synthetic graphite in almost every lithium-ion cell today, sometimes blended with a few percent of silicon to raise capacity.",
        "related": [
          "active-material",
          "graphite",
          "silicon-anode",
          "hard-carbon",
          "lto"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/anode-active-material/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "negative-electrode",
          "synthetic-graphite"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:binder",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Binder",
      "properties": {
        "id": "binder",
        "name": "Binder",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "A polymer that holds electrode particles to each other and to the foil — typically PVDF for positive electrodes and CMC with SBR for graphite. It stores no charge, so cell designers use as little as the electrode needs.",
        "related": [
          "active-material",
          "conductive-additive",
          "slurry",
          "pvdf",
          "nmp",
          "paa"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite",
        "example": {
          "title": "Balance coating functions",
          "text": "Increasing binder fraction at fixed coating mass leaves less mass for active material and conductive additive. Adhesion and capacity are separate design considerations."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/binder/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "graphite",
          "cmc",
          "sbr"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:conductive-additive",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Conductive additive",
      "properties": {
        "id": "conductive-additive",
        "name": "Conductive additive",
        "aka": [
          "carbon black",
          "conductive carbon"
        ],
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "Fine carbon, such as carbon black or carbon nanotubes, added in small amounts to an electrode so that electrons can reach every active particle. Many active materials conduct electrons poorly on their own.",
        "related": [
          "active-material",
          "binder",
          "electronic-conductivity",
          "slurry"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite",
        "example": {
          "title": "Distribution matters",
          "text": "Two coatings with the same additive mass can have different electronic connectivity if the additive is distributed differently."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/conductive-additive/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "carbon-nanotube"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "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:graphite",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Graphite",
      "properties": {
        "id": "graphite",
        "name": "Graphite",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "Layered carbon, the negative active material of nearly all lithium-ion cells. Lithium intercalates between its layers up to LiC₆, a theoretical 372 mAh/g, at a potential about 0.1 V above lithium metal.",
        "related": [
          "anode-active-material",
          "intercalation",
          "natural-graphite",
          "synthetic-graphite",
          "lithium-plating"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components",
        "example": {
          "title": "Compare matching mass bases",
          "text": "A graphite value per gram of active material cannot be directly compared with a value including binder, additive and foil."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/graphite/",
        "mentions": [
          "milliampere-hour",
          "active-material"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:coating",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Coating",
      "properties": {
        "id": "coating",
        "name": "Coating",
        "section": "topic-manufacturing",
        "definition": "Applying slurry to the moving foil at a controlled wet thickness, usually with a slot die, often on both sides. Coating weight per area must be held within about one percent across the web, because every downstream property depends on it.",
        "related": [
          "slot-die",
          "areal-loading",
          "drying",
          "electrode-manufacturing"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-production/#electrodes",
        "example": {
          "title": "Wet and dry thickness differ",
          "text": "Wet coating includes solvent. Dry thickness also depends on retained solids and resulting structure."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/coating/",
        "mentions": [
          "slurry"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lesson:fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
      "type": "Lesson",
      "label": "Lesson 1B · Cell architecture",
      "properties": {
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/"
      }
    }
  ]
}
