Dongxu photoelectric graphene-based lithium battery is controversial

On July 8, Dongxu Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Dongxu Optoelectronics”) announced the launch of the world’s first graphene-based lithium-ion battery product, “Alken King”. It is reported that the product can be filled with 4800mAh in 15 minutes under the condition of satisfying 5C (the amount of charge per unit time through the cross section of the conductor, 1A is equal to 1C/s), achieving fast charge and discharge, and working in -30~80°C environment. The cycle life is up to 3,500 times.

Dongxu Optoelectronics said that “Alken King” solves the problem of fast charging of lithium-ion batteries, and its graphene-based lithium-ion battery technology will bring disruptive changes to the industry.

However, there is a lot of controversy in the industry for Dongxu Optoelectronics' graphene-based lithium-ion battery products. "This is not a subversive technology, "Yichun Li, secretary general of China's graphene industry technology innovation strategy alliance, pointed out in an interview with reporters that Dongxu Optoelectronics launched this product or stayed in the lithium battery series, which is still a long way from graphene batteries. However, Yichun Li believes that graphene makes the charging speed of this product greatly improved, and it still has certain market value.

"Taro" is more than practical?

According to the introduction of Dongxu Optoelectronics at the product launch conference, the product named “Alken King” is the world's first graphene-based lithium-ion battery product, and the first direct-to-consumer graphene launched by Dongxu Optoelectronics product.

Dongxu photoelectric graphene-based lithium battery is more controversial than practical?

The reporter was informed that the graphene-based lithium-ion battery core of the product is mainly 18650 cylindrical, and the positive electrode is made of graphene/lithium iron phosphate composite material. The information released by Dongxu Optoelectronics shows that the battery has good large-rate charge and discharge performance and cycle performance, and can be applied to mobile energy, automotive power supply, start-stop power supply, and drone products.

Dongxu Optoelectronics Investment Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Shanghai Carbon Source Huigu New Material Technology Co., Ltd. Zhonghui Wang told reporters that Dongxu Optoelectronics' “graphene-based lithium-ion battery” has fast charging and discharging, long cycle life and good high and low temperature performance. The advantages are that the other related items in the industry can't keep up, mainly in the miniaturization of the adapter.

Zhonghui Wang delivered a speech on the day of the press conference, saying that the “Alken King” has opened the era of application of graphene in the energy field, and said that "the graphene technology is a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of application of graphene in lithium batteries, is what the graphene industry looks forward to."

“At present, Dongxu Optoelectronics has launched this product in the lithium battery series, but this is the largest product that graphene has played in it so far,” Yichun Li told reporters. “The most basic application of graphene is in the field of conductive additives. This will increase the cost performance of the entire product. This time, the product charging speed of Dongxu Optoelectronics has been greatly improved, and graphene has played a big role, but this is not a disruptive technology."

Yichun Li also said that the general lithium battery charge and discharge will cause certain loss to the battery, and Dongxu's products not only achieve fast charge, but also extend the service life several times. From the market point of view, it still has certain value. .

However, Dr. Liu Guanwei, an associate researcher at the Energy Internet Innovation Institute of Tsinghua University, thinks that graphene is wrong in the direction of batteries, especially lithium batteries. "This is a wrong route. People in the real battery industry circle don't care about graphene at all." Liu Guanwei told reporters. He believes that in lithium battery applications, graphene mainly plays two roles: first, it is used as a conductive agent, and second, it is possible to use lithium-plated materials, both of which compete with conventional conductive carbon/graphite. Graphene can only theoretically increase the charge and discharge rate, but it does not help the improvement of the amount of energy. The significance of the steamed bread is far greater than the practical value. Moreover, the high specific surface area and other properties of the nanomaterials of the graphene material are incompatible with the current technical system of the lithium ion battery industry, and the application prospect is very slim.

For this graphene-based lithium-ion battery introduced by Dongxu Optoelectronics, Liu Guanwei told reporters: "This has no effect on the battery industry. The basic technology is still very old TOOLD technology." In Dongxu Optoelectronics, a graphene-based lithium ion battery, graphene is still an additive for lithium iron phosphate. “The 18650 battery graphene/lithium iron phosphate composite is actually one of the most common things we have combined.”

According to public information, Dongxu Optoelectronics' graphene-based lithium-ion battery products can be filled with 4800mAh in 15 minutes under the condition of 5C, achieving fast charge and discharge, and the cycle life is up to 3,500 times.

Liu Guanwei believes that the above performance data looks very good, just because it compares the batteries in common consumer electronics products. These batteries are not designed for fast charging and life-oriented design, and are mostly volumetric energy density oriented.

Zhonghui Wang told reporters that technically speaking, the above fast charging is only the first stage of battery use, and there is no problem in practical application, and Dongxu Optoelectronics has already mastered 10C charging and discharging technology, and the next generation products will be launched in due course. .

How does industrialization land?

In addition to the controversy over performance and technology, Dongxu Optoelectronics did not disclose the specific cost price and mass production schedule of its graphene-based lithium-ion battery at the press conference, which is also a major focus of the outside world questioning its "frozen concept."

The reporter learned that the graphene concept has been constantly speculating in the capital market. In addition to Dongxu Optoelectronics, including the new carbon materials, Nandu Power, Jinfu New Materials, Zhongtian Technology, Zhengtai Electric, Fangda Carbon, Zhongzhong Companies such as Thai Chemical have been involved in the graphene concept, but they have not been able to achieve mass production.

In this regard, Zhonghui Wang told reporters that Dongxu Optoelectronics's graphene-based lithium-ion battery products are expected to be mass-produced in September, but the price is still not disclosed, and the final listing price is subject to change.

Yichun Li told reporters that the total sales of graphene industry last year was about 500-600 million Yuan, and the lithium battery industry accounted for about 200 million Yuan, but it is still a low-grade application mainly based on conductive additives. The real high-end, revolutionary application has not yet achieved.

The research report released by the Prospective Industry Research Institute also pointed out that the biggest bottleneck of the graphene industry is that there is no complete and mature industrial chain upstream and downstream, and the graphene R&D and manufacturing enterprises are out of touch with the downstream application enterprises. At present, graphene is still in the early stage of industrialization, and the scale application of graphene has not yet been fully realized. The market for the largest demand for graphene products is still a research institute and a small number of manufacturers. Most graphene enterprises still cannot find a stable business model. And profit model.

Despite this, Dongxu Optoelectronics still insists on deep cultivation in the field of graphene. Zhonghui Wang revealed to reporters that the graphene industry has been listed as an important pole in the strategic development of Dongxu Optoelectronics. The company's immediate goal is to become the world's first graphene preparation company to achieve industrial breakthroughs. The long-term goal is to build a world-class graphene preparation and application enterprise.

At present, Dongxu Optoelectronics has acquired Shanghai Carbon Source Huigu New Material Technology Co., Ltd., and established two graphene industrial development funds in Deyang, Sichuan and Taizhou, Jiangsu, mainly to support the application of graphene in downstream industries.

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