Lithium iron phosphate vs NMC cathode
Lithium iron phosphate and NMC cathode are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 2 measured properties, crystal system most clearly.
Lithium iron phosphate vs NMC cathode
Lithium iron phosphate
LiFePO4
The cathode with no nickel and no cobalt in it — cheaper, safer, longer-lived and less energetic, and now more than half the world's cell production.
NMC cathode
LiNiMnCoO2
Nickel, manganese and cobalt in a layered oxide — the high-energy cathode, and a family whose whole recent history is trying to use less cobalt.
| Property | Lithium iron phosphate | NMC cathode |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal system Categorical values can be listed side by side but not ordered or subtracted. | orthorhombic | trigonal |
| Density | 3.6 g/cm³ | 4.6–4.8 g/cm³ higher |
| Molar mass Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | 157.76 g/mol | Not known |
Choosing between them
Lithium iron phosphate is recorded as a substitute for NMC cathode — cheaper, less supply-constrained, less toxic.
What it gives up: Roughly a third less energy for the same mass and a lower cell voltage, so the pack is heavier and bulkier for the same range — and there is no valuable metal in it to pay for recycling it.
In this application, on the evidence cited above.