{
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    "label": "NMC",
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      "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.",
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        "high-nickel",
        "nca",
        "lfp",
        "cobalt"
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      "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"
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      "id": "edge:658",
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      "target": "term:lfp",
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        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
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      "target": "term:cobalt",
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        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
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      "id": "topic:topic-chemistries",
      "type": "Topic",
      "label": "Lithium-ion chemistries and cell formats",
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        "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"
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      "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": [
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        "mentions": [
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          "energy-density"
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      "id": "term:high-nickel",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "High-nickel cathode",
      "properties": {
        "id": "high-nickel",
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        "aka": [
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        "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",
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        "mentions": [
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    {
      "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",
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          "cylindrical-cell",
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        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nca/",
        "mentions": [
          "specific-energy",
          "manganese"
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    },
    {
      "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"
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      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:cobalt",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Cobalt",
      "properties": {
        "id": "cobalt",
        "name": "Cobalt",
        "section": "topic-sustainability",
        "definition": "The metal that stabilises layered-oxide cathodes, mined largely in the Democratic Republic of Congo under scrutiny for working conditions. Its price and ethics have driven the industry from LCO and NMC111 towards high-nickel and cobalt-free LFP.",
        "related": [
          "nmc",
          "lco",
          "high-nickel",
          "critical-raw-materials",
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        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cobalt/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "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"
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        "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"
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    },
    {
      "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.",
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        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/manganese/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lesson:fundamentals/cell-anatomy/",
      "type": "Lesson",
      "label": "Lesson 1 · Cell anatomy",
      "properties": {
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-anatomy/"
      }
    },
    {
      "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"
      }
    }
  ]
}