For new energy vehicle owners, battery safety and range are paramount, besides charging convenience.
Solid-state batteries are considered the "ultimate solution" for the development of next-generation electric vehicles. Recently, solid-state batteries have made new progress. According to multiple mainstream media reports, a team from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an anion regulation technology.
This technology addresses the challenge of close contact between the electrolyte and the lithium electrode in all-solid-state metal lithium batteries, pushing solid-state batteries one step closer to commercialization. Netizens have praised this breakthrough.
So, what are solid-state batteries? What are their characteristics? What research is Sinopec doing in solid-state battery material technology? Today, let's discuss it.
PART.01
What is a solid-state battery?
An ideal all-solid-state battery is a new type of battery that utilizes a non-flammable, non-solidifying and non-evaporating solid-state electrolyte, compatible with high-capacity positive and negative electrode materials, and exhibits excellent performance, such as high safety and high energy density.
Due to its enhanced safety, solid-state batteries have become a global consensus as the core direction of next-generation battery technology.
However, due to challenges such as the solid-solid interface and electrolyte preparation process, which have yet to be effectively resolved and are unlikely to be overcome in the short term, their industrialization remains in the development stage. At this stage, semi-solid (10%-15% liquid by weight in the electrolyte) and quasi-solid (0%-5%) states serve as transitional states towards all-solid-state batteries.
PART.02 Battery Technology is Accelerating its Transition from Liquid to Solid
According to Morgan Stanley's latest forecast, the global solid-state battery market will exceed $120 billion by 2030, with my country accounting for 40% of the market share, making solid-state batteries a new trillion-yuan market.
In recent years, my country has continuously increased its support for solid-state batteries. In particular, in February of this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and eight other departments jointly issued the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of New Energy Storage Manufacturing Industry," which explicitly listed solid-state batteries as a key research area.
Focusing on the window of opportunity for solid-state battery industrialization, my country's solid-state battery technology reserves are continuously expanding, supporting materials are undergoing continuous upgrading and innovation, and the industrialization process is accelerating. PART.03
Sinopec Contributes to Breakthroughs in New Energy Battery Technology
The battery is the heart of new energy vehicles, crucial for their range, battery life, charging efficiency, and safety. Guided by the "dual carbon" goals, Sinopec is accelerating the development of new energy technologies and industrial layout, achieving significant results in the research and development and production of battery materials.
▲Shanghai Research Institute researchers discuss solid-state battery electrolyte research and development.
Zhenhai Refining and Chemical: High-melt-strength foamed polypropylene rapidly captures the market for new energy battery protection boards.
In the first half of this year, Zhenhai Refining and Chemical produced 6,467 tons of high-melt-strength foamed polypropylene and sold 6,556 tons, with both production and sales exceeding 50% year-on-year growth.
Products made from high-melt-strength foamed polypropylene exhibit excellent heat resistance, thermal insulation, and chemical resistance. They are non-toxic and environmentally friendly, resist deformation under external forces, and even if deformed, they rebound.
Thanks to its superior performance, this product has rapidly captured the market and become the preferred choice for new energy battery protection boards. Leading domestic companies in the production of new energy battery protection boards, such as Zhejiang Xinhengtai and Suzhou Shensai, all use high-quality products from Zhenhai Refining and Chemical, supplying them to new energy battery manufacturers such as CATL and BYD.
Cathode Materials Research Institute: Independently Developing New Technology for the Synthesis of Ternary Precursors
Cathode materials are key components of lithium batteries, primarily including ternary materials, lithium iron phosphate materials, lithium cobalt oxide materials, and lithium manganese oxide materials.
The Institute has developed a comprehensive suite of proprietary ternary precursor synthesis technologies that can homogenize the particle size of ternary materials, eliminating extremely small or large particles. This ensures that the material particles simultaneously de-lithiate and insert lithium during the battery's charge and discharge processes, thereby preventing overcharge or discharge of certain particles. This not only extends the battery's lifespan but also improves safety.
Anode Materials Research Institute (Dalian Institute): Simultaneously advancing the development of various materials, including needle coke.
Anode materials influence a battery's energy density, charge and discharge efficiency, cycle life, and safety, accounting for 5% to 15% of the total cost of a lithium battery. Focusing on building a collaborative "petrochemical-battery materials" industry chain, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Engineering (DICE) is simultaneously advancing the research and development of needle coke, petroleum-based carbon fibers, petroleum-based sodium-ion battery anode materials, lithium battery silicon-carbon anodes, fast-charging hard carbon anodes, and solid-state battery technologies. This is accelerating the formation of a comprehensive materials innovation system encompassing energy storage and lightweight structures.
Diaphragm Materials
Beijing Institute of Chemical Engineering: "Tailor-made" Catalysts for High-End Diaphragm Materials
Diaphragm materials are key internal components with the most challenging and technically challenging challenges in the lithium battery industry chain. Their performance directly impacts battery capacity, cycling performance, and safety.
Beijing Institute of Chemical Engineering (DICE) is actively responding to market changes and has developed a new generation of spherical BCC-100 and BCC-200 catalysts using a novel dissolution-extraction system and proprietary technologies. These specialized lithium battery separator materials exhibit high bulk density and excellent fluidity, enabling the production of high-end, thin-layer power battery separators. They better meet the demands for high-performance and thin-layer separators, enhancing the range of new energy vehicles. Yangzi Petrochemical: Annual Production and Sales of Lithium Battery Separator Materials Exceed 30,000 Tons
Yangzi Petrochemical, China's earliest and largest manufacturer of lithium battery separator materials, successfully achieved industrial production of its domestically produced UHMWPE separator material, YEV-4500, in 2017, filling a domestic gap. In 2024, Yangzi Petrochemical's production and sales of its lithium battery separator material portfolio exceeded 30,000 tons for the first time.
