The need to improve the performance of power batteries and intensified market competition provide a basis for copper foil companies to bet on ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil.
On the one hand, under the urgent demand for the improvement of power battery energy density, mainstream power battery companies are undergoing rapid switching of light and thin lithium battery copper foils, and current battery companies have basically completed the replacement upgrade from 9-12 μm to 6-8 μm.
On the other hand, with the increase of new entrants and the release of new production capacity, the competition in the lithium battery copper foil market is becoming increasingly fierce, and it is more difficult to lay out the technology, and the ultra-thin copper foil has become more important. means.
In the next generation of lithium battery copper foil technology, 4.5μm ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil has become the main product of many copper foil companies' R & D layout.
At present, many copper foil companies in China have developed 4.5μm ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil, and DGHW Copper Foil Technology Co., Ltd. is in the forefront of the market in this technical competition.
"More than 95% of the company's current products are 6μm copper foil. Thinner 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil has been mass-produced and can be supplied in batches." Chen Shaoming, chairman of DGHW copper foil, introduced that the company's existing production capacity is 12,000 tons / Year, with the release of the production capacity of ANXC high-end flexible copper foil base, the company's competitive advantage in the field of high-end lithium battery copper foil will be further improved.
April shipments increased by 30% month-on-month
Under the requirement of improving energy density, the current mainstream power battery companies have completed the rapid switching of light and thin copper foil. The market share of 6μm ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil has rapidly increased. The thinner 4.5μm copper foil has also been put on the mass production schedule. ， Lithium battery copper foil becomes more and more obvious.
As one of the domestic enterprises that can mass-produce and stably supply 6μm copper foil, DGHW copper foil currently has a capacity of 1,000 tons per month, which can be adjusted at any time according to the needs of customers.
"The company's shipments began to grow slowly in March. The current shipments are about 400-500 tons, an increase of about 30% from the previous month.
Seize the high ground of 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil market
In recent years. With the influx of new entrants, the release of new production capacity, the sharp drop in the price of lithium battery copper foil and the replacement of new competitive products, 8μm lithium battery copper foil has become increasingly competitive in the digital lithium battery and power battery markets.
Under this circumstance, a group of strong and technical copper foil companies turned the market to the more technically difficult 6μm lithium battery copper foil to seize the high-end market.
DGHW copper foil is one of the main domestic 6μm lithium battery copper foil suppliers. On the basis of guaranteeing various performances, the company is moving towards a more technically difficult 4.5μm copper foil, further enhancing its competition in the field of high-end copper foil Advantage.
"We started to develop 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil in 2014. We obtained the invention patent in 2016. After years of testing and verification, we have now entered the stage of mass production and supply." Chen Shaoming said that 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil One of DGHW's main products in the future.
At present, the performance improvement of power batteries is reflected in the performance quality of lithium battery copper foil, which requires copper foil to have a series of key indicators such as ultra-high flexibility, high oxidation resistance, high tensile strength, and high elongation stability.
The 6μm flexible copper foil of DGHW copper foil has six characteristics of high flexibility, high oxidation resistance, high tensile strength, high extension, no copper powder and no breakage. The 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil also has the above performance characteristics and is very competitive.
According to DGHW copper foil, the company's 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil is characterized by high flexibility and ductility, which effectively suppresses the wrinkling and breaking of the foil and cold-pressed tape during the coating roller, which is convenient for operation and improves at the same time. The coating pressure efficiency can effectively control copper powder and embrittlement.
The high flexibility, high oxidation resistance and high metal texture are the characteristics of DGHW copper foil.
In 2017, DGHW copper foil invested in AHXC to build a high-end flexible lithium battery copper foil production base with an annual output of 80,000 tons. Now, a factory with an annual output of 30,000 tons has been built.
The AHXC base uses equipment imported from Japan and can produce 4.5 μm and 6 μm high-end flexible copper foil at the same time.
Overall, it will take some time for the large-scale application of 4.5μm copper foil in the power battery market.
At present, many domestic copper foil companies have announced that they have developed or mass-produced 4.5μm copper foil, but have not yet formed a stable mass production supply capacity. At the same time, battery companies also have many technical difficulties in applying 4.5μm copper foil. A large number of battery companies have not even introduced 6μm copper foil.
Objectively speaking, it takes a long time for 4.5μm copper foil to replace 6μm copper foil, and the overall market share is very small. However, Warwick Copper Foil has mass-produced 4.5μm high-end flexible copper foil and began to supply small batches to head battery companies, adding a weapon for its competition in the high-end copper foil market, thereby further enhancing its market competitiveness.