Lithium battery copper foil is the preferred material for the current collector of lithium battery anode materials. The light and thin copper foil can effectively increase the energy density of the battery. In the future, the demand penetration rate of 6μm lithium battery copper foil is expected to gradually increase. The average annual growth of the market space in 2020-2025 The speed is expected to exceed 60%; the technical barrier of 6μm lithium battery copper foil is relatively high, and the scale of expansion is relatively small, and the supply and demand pattern is expected to gradually improve.
Lithium battery copper foil is the material of choice for the negative current collector of lithium batteries. Copper foil is an important basic material in the field of lithium batteries and electronics, and can be divided into rolled copper foil and electrolytic copper foil. Electrolytic copper foil is the mainstream product in the market, divided into lithium battery copper foil and standard copper foil. The current collector is the electronic conductor of the electrode material of the lithium battery and the external circuit. The lithium battery copper foil as the negative current collector has the following advantages:
1) High conductivity;
2) Soft texture;
3) High oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance;
4) Low cost;
5) High adhesion.
At present, 8μm lithium battery copper foil is the mainstream product, and it is expected to develop into ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil ≤6μm in the future.
Lithium battery copper foil has a large long-term market space, and thinning is the mainstream trend in the future. From the perspective of China's domestic and foreign policy support for new energy vehicles and the electrification process of mainstream auto companies, global new energy vehicles are expected to maintain rapid development, driving the continued growth of the lithium battery copper foil market. The long-term market for lithium battery copper foil is relatively large. Among them, the 6μm ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil can further increase the energy density of the battery, and the penetration rate is expected to continue to increase. Hay Think predicts that the global demand for lithium battery copper foil will reach 768,200 tons in 2025, with an average annual compound growth rate of 29.3% in 2020-2025; among them, the demand for 6μm copper foil in 2025 will be 366,400 tons, with an average annual compound growth rate of 2020-2025. The speed is 68.5%. Hay Think estimates that the global lithium battery copper foil market space is expected to reach 58 billion yuan in 2025, of which 6μm copper foil is expected to reach 30.4 billion yuan.
There are four major barriers to lithium battery copper foil, and the technical barrier of 6μm copper foil is even higher.
1) Technical barriers: formula is one of the core technologies of electrolytic copper foil, in which additives determine the performance and use of copper foil; at the same time, it is difficult to control the production process of copper foil.
2) Equipment barriers: The cathode roller is the main component of the foil production machine. At present, there is still a gap between domestic cathode rollers and imported equipment. Domestic copper foil companies that can bind Japanese cathode roller manufacturers can build certain equipment barriers.
3) Qualification barriers: Sulfuric acid and copper sulfate solutions are required in the production of lithium battery copper foil. Sulfuric acid mist and waste gas will be generated in the process of dissolving copper and raw foil. The environmental review and approval are strict.
4) Capital barriers: The fixed asset investment of copper foil is 48-56 million yuan/GWh, and the investment intensity is higher than that of anode materials and electrolytes. 6μm copper foil has a higher barrier, and its application process difficulties include pleating, stripping, high-temperature oxidation, and chipping easy to lose powder. The requirements for copper foil preparation technology and cathode rolls are also more stringent.
The overall supply and demand of lithium battery copper foil is loose, and the 6μm supply and demand pattern is expected to gradually improve. At the end of 2019, the global lithium battery copper foil production capacity was 290,000 tons, of which China’s 200,000 tons; according to EV Tank’s forecast data, the global lithium battery copper foil production capacity in 2020-2022 will be 350,000 tons, 443,000 tons, and 488,000 tons, respectively. The overall supply and demand Loose. The technical barrier of 6μm ultra-thin copper foil is higher, and the production capacity is concentrated in China. It is estimated that the effective production capacity of 6μm copper foil in China will be 52,000 tons, 69,000 tons and 90,000 tons in 2020-2022, and the supply and demand gap will be -25,000 tons respectively. , -6,200 tons and 16,300 tons, the supply and demand pattern is expected to usher in a significant improvement.