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镍为锂离子（Li-ion）电池做出了重要贡献，而锂离子电池为电动汽车的大部分革命提供了动力。

镍（Ni）长期以来一直广泛用于电池中，最常见的是镍镉（NiCd）和寿命更长的镍金属氢化物（NiMH）可充电电池，它们在1980年代崭露头角。它们在电动工具和早期数码相机中的采用揭示了便携式设备的潜力，改变了人们对我们的工作和生活的期望。1990年代中期，丰田普锐斯首次在车辆中大量使用镍氢电池。大约在同一时间，锂离子电池的第一个商业应用出现了，最初是在便携式摄录机中，最终在智能手机，笔记本电脑和我们现在认为理所当然的许多其他便携式设备中找到了应用。

在电池中使用镍的主要优点在于，它有助于以较低的成本提供更高的能量密度和更大的存储容量。含镍电池技术的进一步发展意味着它将在能量存储系统中扮演越来越重要的角色，从而有助于使每千瓦时电池存储的成本更具竞争力。它正在使间歇性可再生能源（例如风能和太阳能）生产的能源更可行。

电池中的镍有助于以更低的成本提供更高的能量密度和更大的存储容量

电动汽车电池

随着市场份额的不断增长，电池技术也在不断发展，这也是使用含镍锂离子电池比例不断增长的另一个原因。两种最常用的电池，镍钴铝（NCA）和镍锰钴（NMC）分别使用80％和33％的镍。较新的NMC配方镍含量也接近80％。现在，大多数锂离子电池都依靠镍。

锂离子电池已被集成到下一代电动汽车中，因为其卓越的功率密度对于长距离行驶车辆至关重要。尽管电动汽车（EV）目前在全球汽车存量中所占的比例相对较小，但其市场份额正在增加，并且预计在未来几年中将继续快速增长。一些预测表明，到2025年，它们将占车辆总数的10％以上，其中大部分将由含镍的锂离子电池供电。在汽车电池中使用镍可提供更高的能量密度和更低的成本，从而为车辆提供更长的续航里程，目前这是制约电动汽车使用的限制之一。

汽车电池中的镍：为车辆提供更长的续航里程

镍在可充电电池技术中的重要性

电池由一个或多个电化学电池组成，该电化学电池包括两个电极（阳极和阴极）和电解质。当两个电极通过导电路径相连时，电子可以从一个流向另一个；当使用电池供电时，阳极提供电子，当电子通过电路连接到外部设备时，电子将流动并传递能量。

电池有两种分类：一次电池是一次性的，可以一次性使用；二次电池可以充电并重复使用。二次电池有很多种类，例如汽车中使用的铅酸电池，NiCd（镍镉），NiMH（镍金属氢化物）和Li-ion（锂离子）。镍是包括锂离子在内的许多二次电池设计的阴极必不可少的成分，如下表所示。

来源：隆众资讯

镍是许多二次电池设计的阴极必不可少的成分。

存放电池

新的含镍电池技术也在与可再生能源相关的储能系统中发挥着作用。当有风或太阳时，风力涡轮机或太阳能电池板会发电；现代电池技术可将这种能量存储起来，以便在需要时使用。

现代电池技术允许将能量存储起来，以便在需要时使用

转向储能系统的主要原因是可再生能源（主要是风能和太阳能）的大幅增长。在美国，过去三年来，风能和太阳能占所有新增发电量的一半以上。亚洲和欧洲也在可再生能源方面投资数十亿美元。但是，挑战在于风不会每天吹，太阳也不会按需照耀。这就是部署电池以捕获能量并在需要时释放能量的原因，从而有助于稳定我们复杂而广泛的电力基础设施。

规模经济正在使锂离子电池成为主导技术。这是锂离子电池在消费电子市场上的悠久历史以及近期在锂离子电池制造领域的巨大投资规模的结果，其中很大一部分投入了电动汽车行业。锂离子电池正极材料的全球供应商正在提高镍锰钴（NMC）的生产能力，每种元素的典型比例为33％。

回收电池

预测含镍锂离子电池的使用量将成倍增长，报废的回收和再循环能力有望与之匹配。有关报废责任的法规要求以及锂离子电池的安全处理和运输将增加对成熟的回收技术的需求。尽管这样的过程已经存在并且可以扩展以满足需求，但世界各地的创新公司正在探索有效且经济可行的方法来满足未来的任何需求的激增。

由于毒性和安全方面的考虑，出于环境原因，有效的锂离子电池回收非常重要，正确处理和运输电池至关重要。除了环境方面，锂离子电池回收的关键经济驱动因素是可回收的贵重金属及其化合物，当然，其中包括镍，它们存在于阴极和阳极中，可用于新电池，可以更好地描述为电池资源回收过程的电池回收过程可以是火法冶金或湿法冶金，或两者结合。

Nickel is making a vital contribution to the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that power much of the electric vehicle revolution.

Nickel (Ni) has long been widely used in batteries, most commonly in nickel cadmium (NiCd) and in the longer-lasting nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, which came to the fore in the 1980s. Their adoption in power tools and early digital cameras revealed the potential for portable devices, changing expectations of how we work and live. The mid-1990s saw the first significant use of NiMH batteries in vehicles in the Toyota Prius. Around the same time, the first commercial applications for Li-ion batteries emerged, initially in camcorders and eventually finding their way into smartphones, laptops and the numerous other portable devices we now take for granted.

The major advantage of using nickel in batteries is that it helps deliver higher energy density and greater storage capacity at a lower cost. Further advances in nickel-containing battery technology mean it is set for an increasing role in energy storage systems, helping make the cost of each kWh of battery storage more competitive. It is making energy production from intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar replace fossil fuels more viable.

NICKEL IN BATTERIES HELPS DELIVER HIGHER ENERGY DENSITY AND GREATER STORAGE CAPACITY AT A LOWER COST

Batteries for Electric Vehicles

In tandem with this increasing market share, battery technology is also advancing, another reason why the proportion of nickel-containing Li-ion batteries in use is set to grow. Two of the most commonly-used types of batteries, Nickel Cobalt Aluminium (NCA) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) use 80% and 33% nickel respectively; newer formulations of NMC are also approaching 80% nickel. Most Li-ion batteries now rely on nickel.

Li-ion batteries were incorporated into the next generation of electric cars, as their superior power density became critical for moving vehicles over long distances. Although electric vehicles (EVs) currently account for a relatively small proportion of global automobile stock, their market share is increasing and is forecast to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. Some predictions suggest they will make up more than 10% of vehicles by 2025, most of which will be powered by nickel-containing Li-ion batteries. Using nickel in car batteries offers greater energy density and storage at lower cost, delivering a longer range for vehicles, currently one of the restraints to EV uptake.

NICKEL IN CAR BATTERIES: DELIVERING A LONGER RANGE FOR VEHICLES

The importance of nickel in rechargeable battery technologies

An electric battery consists of one or more electrochemical cells, which comprise two electrodes - an anode and a cathode - and an electrolyte. When the two electrodes are linked by a pathway that conducts electricity, electrons can flow from one to the other. When a battery is used to supply electric power, the anode provides electrons, which will - when connected by a circuit to an external device - flow and deliver energy.

There are two classifications of batteries. Primary batteries are disposable, for single use; secondary batteries can be recharged and reused. Secondary batteries come in a number of varieties, such as the lead-acid battery found in automobiles, NiCd (Nickel Cadmium), NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) and Li-ion (Lithium ion). Nickel is an essential component for the cathodes of many secondary battery designs, including Li-ion, as seen in the table below.