Lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) market scale continues to expand, but industry development still faces challenges

Lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula LiPO2F2. Lithium difluorophosphate appears as a white powder solid, easily soluble in water and acetonitrile solution, and insoluble in magnesium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, zinc sulfate, ferric chloride, etc. Lithium difluorophosphate has the characteristics of good electrochemical stability and non-volatility, and is widely used in the field of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) is the main raw material of lithium difluorophosphate. Its preparation methods include hydrogen fluoride solvent method, gas-solid reaction method, organic solvent method, etc. Currently, my country’s output of lithium difluorophosphate is low due to factors such as the difficulty in producing raw materials and high production costs. In the future, with the improvement of technology maturity, the production cost of lithium hexafluorophosphate in my country is expected to decrease, which will provide favorable conditions for the development of the lithium difluorophosphate industry.

The main preparation methods of lithium difluorophosphate include hydrolysis of lithium hexafluorophosphate, reaction synthesis of phosphorus pentafluoride and lithium phosphate, solid phase reaction, displacement reaction, etc. The lithium difluorophosphate industry has high technical barriers. The existing preparation methods have low yields, many by-products, and difficult purification. As a result, product quality and output cannot meet market demand. This is the main challenge facing the development of my country’s lithium difluorophosphate industry. . In the future, with in-depth research and technological advancement, the development speed of my country’s lithium difluorophosphate industry will further accelerate.

Lithium difluorophosphate can be used as an electrolyte additive for secondary lithium-ion batteries, which can improve the low-temperature resistance, chemical stability, cycle characteristics and conductivity of the battery. Benefiting from the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the market space of lithium-ion batteries as new energy vehicle power batteries continues to expand. According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the total output value of my country’s lithium-ion battery industry will exceed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2022, with output increasing by more than 130% year-on-year. Driven by downstream demand, my country’s lithium difluorophosphate market continues to expand. According to the “2023-2028 China Lithium Difluorophosphate (LiDFP) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report》shows that my country’s lithium difluorophosphate market size will reach US$120 million in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%.

my country’s lithium difluorophosphate production companies include Shenghua New Materials, Tianci Materials, Juhua Co., Ltd., Duofuo, Tianji Co., Ltd., Xinhu Zhongbao, Ruitai New Materials, etc. Shenghua New Materials is my country’s leading enterprise of lithium difluorophosphate. Currently, the company is actively developing and producing lithium-ion battery electrolyte products such as lithium difluorophosphate and lithium hexafluorophosphate. According to the financial report of Shenghua New Materials, the company achieved revenue of 6.8 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2022, a year-on-year increase of 34.5%.

Industry analysts said that as an electrolyte additive for lithium-ion batteries, lithium difluorophosphate has good electrochemical stability and is not volatile. With the gradual release of downstream demand, its industry development space will continue to expand. At present, due to factors such as high technical barriers, there is a supply gap in my country’s lithium difluorophosphate market. In the future, driven by the technological innovation of local companies, the output and quality of my country’s lithium difluorophosphate will increase.