That's cool Jeff
what about buying the raw elements and making the LiFePO4 chemical
yourself too? would that reduce the cost a lot?
sure one would have to be clever several times to get something working
but it would be soo cool : )
even if it didn't work too well but imagine having an EV with homebuilt
lithium batteries
it has a very high in your face rating
Dan
what about buying the raw elements and making the LiFePO4 chemical
yourself too? would that reduce the cost a lot?
sure one would have to be clever several times to get something working
but it would be soo cool : )
even if it didn't work too well but imagine having an EV with homebuilt
lithium batteries
it has a very high in your face rating
Dan
Jeff Shanab wrote:
> I looked into making my own lithium-ion cells. The lithium cobolt
> material was to expensive to purchase and come out ahead but I found
> sources for the liFePo4 that wern't to bad, just not in the US. The US
> companies wanted trainload min quantities, up front annual purchase
> aggreements etc.
>
> in a nut shell, lithium ion prismatic cell construction
> there are 2 sets of chemicals and plates, LiFePo4 and aluminum
> and graphite and copper. cant remember which goes with which w/o looking
> it up)
> For high capacity lower amp cells a very fine mesh screen is
> avail see fukowa foils on PRED battery materials web site.
> mix chemicals with binder. Now available in water based that can
> be used in open atmosphere safely for the cell and for the employee.
> spread mix onto plates, collander (run thru pressure rollers.)
> dry plates
> while dry assemble (usually done in argon filled chamber)
> plate-seperator-plate ...
> zero scale
> pull vacuum on cell, this serves as leak test and is how you get
> electrolyte in.
> allow vacuum to pull in electrolyte, seal.
> commission charge.
>
> If you go to the scientific and education supply houses you can buy the
> chemicals but the prices were 1000 to 10,000 times the price for a few
> grams or kilograms that you'd pay if from an industrial supplier.
> One of the points stressed in the original LiFePo4 research
> documentation was the low environmental and decreased cost over
> nimh,LiCo, and LiMg cells. It was always touted as a replacement for
> lead at approximatly twice the raw material costs but 4 times the energy
> density. I think this was overly optimistic from the typical research
> perspective. Actual costs are higher.
>
> All in all I am guesing/hoping that the prices will drop in half in the
> next year or two.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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