Battery knowledge · Cell components and electrode materials
Cathode active material
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. [1]
- Abbreviation
- CAM
Example
Cell components and electrode materials: an example situation
Electrons travel through additive, foil and tab; ions use electrolyte and separator pathways.
Read Cathode active material alongside Active material in this context. 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.
Use in Lemonergy
Connect each material with its function.
This is a reference concept. No executable Lemonergy block has been verified for this term.
References & further reading
Technical references
- A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry
Arumugam Manthiram · Nature Communications · 2020
Technical reference · Layered oxides, spinels and polyanion cathodes; links between composition, structure and performance.
Further reading on this topic
These sources provide broader context; they are not presented as citations for every statement in this entry.
- DOE Explains… Batteries
U.S. Department of Energy
Topic background · Introductory account of electrodes, electrolyte and conversion between chemical and electrical energy.
- Current and future lithium-ion battery manufacturing
Yangtao Liu, Ruihan Zhang, Jun Wang, Yan Wang · iScience · 2021
Topic background · Electrode preparation, cell assembly, formation and manufacturing trade-offs.