{
  "node": {
    "id": "term:nca",
    "type": "Term",
    "label": "NCA",
    "properties": {
      "id": "nca",
      "name": "NCA",
      "aka": [
        "nickel cobalt aluminium oxide"
      ],
      "section": "topic-chemistries",
      "definition": "A layered-oxide positive material, LiNi₀.₈Co₀.₁₅Al₀.₀₅O₂ in its classic form, with aluminium in place of the manganese of NMC. It offers high specific energy and is associated with long-range electric cars built from cylindrical cells.",
      "related": [
        "nmc",
        "high-nickel",
        "cathode-active-material",
        "cylindrical-cell",
        "ncma"
      ],
      "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nca/",
      "mentions": [
        "specific-energy",
        "manganese"
      ]
    }
  },
  "edges": [
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      "id": "edge:665",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "topic:topic-chemistries",
      "type": "belongsTo",
      "properties": {
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      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:666",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:nmc",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:667",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:high-nickel",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:668",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:cathode-active-material",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:669",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:cylindrical-cell",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:670",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:ncma",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/nca/specific-energy",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:specific-energy",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
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        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
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      "id": "edge:mentions/nca/manganese",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "term:manganese",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
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        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
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      "id": "edge:673",
      "source": "term:nca",
      "target": "reference:manthiram-cathodes",
      "type": "cites",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "wiki-references.json",
        "scope": "direct technical reference"
      }
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    {
      "id": "topic:topic-chemistries",
      "type": "Topic",
      "label": "Lithium-ion chemistries and cell formats",
      "properties": {
        "id": "topic-chemistries",
        "name": "Lithium-ion chemistries and cell formats",
        "lede": "The electrode materials that define a lithium-ion cell, the crystal structures behind them, and the shapes cells are built in.",
        "context": "Separate chemistry from form factor.",
        "example": "Two cylindrical cells can share dimensions yet differ in cathode, capacity and current limits.",
        "lesson_url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
        "lesson_label": "Open cell architecture"
      }
    },
    {
      "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:high-nickel",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "High-nickel cathode",
      "properties": {
        "id": "high-nickel",
        "name": "High-nickel cathode",
        "aka": [
          "Ni-rich"
        ],
        "section": "topic-chemistries",
        "definition": "A layered oxide with 80 % or more nickel, such as NMC811 or NCA. Nickel raises capacity and lowers cobalt content, but the material is less thermally stable, more sensitive to moisture and ages faster at high voltage.",
        "related": [
          "nmc",
          "nca",
          "cathode-active-material",
          "thermal-runaway",
          "cei",
          "mid-nickel"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/high-nickel/",
        "mentions": [
          "cobalt",
          "layered-oxide"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "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:cylindrical-cell",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Cylindrical cell",
      "properties": {
        "id": "cylindrical-cell",
        "name": "Cylindrical cell",
        "aka": [
          "18650",
          "21700",
          "4680"
        ],
        "section": "topic-chemistries",
        "definition": "A cell made by winding the electrodes into a jelly roll and sealing it in a round metal can. Sizes are named by their dimensions: a 21700 cell is 21 mm across and 70 mm long.",
        "related": [
          "jelly-roll",
          "can",
          "tabless-design",
          "prismatic-cell",
          "pouch-cell",
          "centre-pin"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-production/#formats",
        "example": {
          "title": "Shape versus ratings",
          "text": "A cylindrical shape does not supply the model’s capacity, resistance or voltage limits; those belong to the actual cell."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cylindrical-cell/",
        "mentions": [
          "winding"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:ncma",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "NCMA",
      "properties": {
        "id": "ncma",
        "name": "NCMA",
        "aka": [
          "nickel cobalt manganese aluminium oxide",
          "quaternary cathode",
          "LiNiCoMnAlO₂"
        ],
        "section": "topic-chemistries",
        "definition": "A quaternary layered oxide that adds a little aluminium to a high-nickel NMC, typically around 90 % nickel with only a few percent cobalt. Aluminium steadies the lattice and slows degradation, much as in NCA, so the material keeps high capacity with less cobalt; LG Energy Solution supplied it for GM’s Ultium cells.",
        "related": [
          "nmc",
          "nca",
          "high-nickel",
          "layered-oxide",
          "cobalt"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/ncma/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:specific-energy",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Specific energy",
      "properties": {
        "id": "specific-energy",
        "name": "Specific energy",
        "aka": [
          "gravimetric energy density"
        ],
        "section": "topic-ratings",
        "definition": "Stored energy per unit mass, in watt-hours per kilogram. Commercial lithium-ion cells range from about 160 Wh/kg for LFP to around 270 Wh/kg for high-nickel chemistries; at pack level the figure drops by a quarter or more.",
        "unit": "Wh/kg",
        "related": [
          "energy-density",
          "cell-to-pack-ratio",
          "specific-capacity",
          "ragone-plot"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/capacity-and-c-rate/#energy",
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/specific-energy/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:manganese",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Manganese",
      "properties": {
        "id": "manganese",
        "name": "Manganese",
        "aka": [
          "manganese sulfate",
          "high-purity manganese sulfate",
          "HPMSM"
        ],
        "section": "topic-sustainability",
        "definition": "A cheap, abundant metal used in NMC, LMO and LMFP positive electrodes and in alkaline cells. Ore comes mostly from South Africa, Gabon and Australia, but about 95 % of battery-grade high-purity manganese sulfate was refined in China in 2024, which puts manganese on critical-raw-material lists despite plentiful reserves.",
        "related": [
          "nmc",
          "lmo",
          "lmfp",
          "critical-raw-materials",
          "cobalt",
          "nickel-sulfate"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/manganese/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "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"
      }
    }
  ]
}