Benefiting from the development of the new energy automobile industry, the market demand for silicon carbon anode materials has increased
Silicon carbon anode material refers to a material that can improve the capacity and electrochemical performance of the anode material by doping silicon materials with carbon materials of different structures. Silicon carbon anode material has the advantages of suitable discharge platform, high energy density, and low production cost. It is one of the more promising new generation anode materials. Currently, the more common silicon-carbon anode materials mainly include five types: silicon-oxide carbon composites, silicon nanowires, amorphous silicon alloys, carbon-coated nano-silicon, and oxygen-changing silicon-oxide carbon composite materials.
There are four methods for preparing silicon-carbon anode materials: high-temperature solid-phase synthesis, chemical vapor deposition, electrospinning, and mechanical alloying. High-temperature solid-phase synthesis and vapor deposition are the mainstream preparation methods for silicon-carbon anode materials. The high-temperature solid-phase synthesis method refers to making silicon-carbon negative electrode materials through contact and reaction between solid interfaces under high-temperature conditions. This method has the advantages of simple production process. The vapor deposition method requires pretreatment of the silicon source first, and then catalyzes the growth of carbon nanofibers on the surface, and finally makes a silicon-carbon composite material.
The main raw materials of silicon carbon anode materials include silicon materials such as nano silicon particles, elemental silicon, and carbon materials such as graphene and graphite. The mass specific capacity of silicon materials can reach up to 4200.0mAh/g, which is more than 10.0 times that of carbon materials. It also has the advantages of low production cost, high safety, and sufficient resource reserves. Carbon materials have high electrical conductivity and can be used as conductive layers and buffer layers. Silicon-carbon anode materials combine the performance advantages of silicon materials and carbon materials and can greatly improve battery energy density.
According to the “2022-2027 Silicon Carbon Anode Material Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospect Forecast Analysis Report released by the Industrial Research Center , Power batteries are the largest demand end for silicon-carbon anode materials. In recent years, benefiting from national policy support, my country’s new energy vehicle industry has developed rapidly and output has continued to increase. According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, my country’s new energy vehicle production will reach 3.545 million units in 2021, with a market share of 13.4%. Power batteries are a core component of new energy vehicles, and strong downstream demand has driven its market size to continue to expand. Against this background, the market demand for silicon carbon anode materials in my country continues to grow.
At present, silicon-carbon anode materials have been used in large quantities in Japan, while most Chinese companies are in the research and development stage. Zhongke Electric, Xiangfenghua, Silicon Bao Technology, Shanshan Co., Ltd. are the main manufacturers of silicon carbon anode materials in my country.
Industry analysts said that silicon carbon anode materials have excellent performance and are expected to become the mainstream of new generation anode materials. As my country’s new energy vehicle market demand becomes increasingly strong, the development space of the silicon-carbon anode material industry will further expand. The technical barriers to the production of silicon-carbon anode materials are high. Most companies in my country already have small-scale production capabilities. Driven by technological innovation, my country’s silicon-carbon anode material production capacity will continue to expand in the future.