Integrals Power said it has developed advancements in Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active materials for battery cells. By applying its proprietary materials technology and patented manufacturing process, the company said it has addressed the decrease in specific capacity that typically occurs as the percentage of manganese increases. This development results in cathode active materials that support higher voltages and energy density, potentially increasing electric vehicle range by up to 20% or allowing battery packs to become smaller and lighter, the company said.

According to Integrals Power, these cathode active materials combine the attributes of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistries—relatively low cost, long cycle life, and good low-temperature performance—with energy density comparable to more expensive Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) chemistries.

The LMFP materials feature 80% manganese, compared to the 50-70% typically found in competing materials, and have a higher specific capacity of 150mAh/g, while delivering a voltage of 4.1V (versus 3.45V for LFP), Integrals said. Third-party testing by experts at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) has been completed on coin cells and is now being evaluated using EV-representative pouch cells. The developed materials will soon be available for cell suppliers, battery manufacturers, and OEMs to evaluate and benchmark.

“The challenge that the automotive industry has been trying to overcome for some time is to push up the percentage of manganese in LMFP cells to a high level while retaining the same specific capacity as LFP,” Integrals Power Founder and CEO, Behnam Hormozi, said. “Using traditional methods the more manganese you add, the more specific capacity drops, and this has meant it can’t deliver a high energy density.”

Integrals Power produced the high-performance LMFP cathode active materials at its new UK facility, alongside its proprietary LFP chemistry, the company said. The capability to manufacture materials such as these in the UK is critical to the development of a sustainable domestic battery industry and supporting the 2030 ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles as well as 2050’s net zero emissions targets, according to Integrals.

Integrals Power said it sources all its raw materials from European and North American suppliers, ensuring purer, higher-performance LFP and LMFP cathode materials with greater energy density compared to Chinese-manufactured cathode materials, which currently account for around 90% of production worldwide.