电动汽车（EV）所承诺的光明未来，其天空中却笼罩着一团阴云。这团阴云正是可充电锂离子（Li-ion）电池——它不仅是电动汽车技术的核心，更是驱动现代生活的绝大多数电子设备的核心。
锂离子电池的主要问题源于制造其正极（电池的正极）所用的两种元素——钴和镍。这些元素的供应依赖于脆弱且存在道德争议的供应链。
通过锂离子电池回收减少环境影响
One strategy for minimizing the supply chain, cost, and environmental issues associated with Li-ion batteries is efficient recovery and recycling of nickel, cobalt, and other chemicals from end-of-life batteries. Specifically, recycling reduces the pressure on mining raw material.
我们的简化水冶金先进回收工艺（SHARP）技术，为从废旧锂离子电池中回收关键金属提供了环保且经济高效的解决方案。
从报废锂离子电池中高效回收和循环利用镍与钴，是减少开采原材料需求的一种途径。
我们的锂硫电池化学替代方案
Another approach is to develop alternatives to lithium-ion chemistry that use abundant and more easily obtainable materials to deliver higher battery performance at a lower cost. Many leading companies in battery research are actively working on this. Changing the chemistry has the potential to introduce supply chain resiliency and ultimately make EVs more affordable and appealing to consumers.
锂硫（Li-S）电池化学体系已然成为一条可行的未来发展路径。该技术采用硫作为阴极活性材料（CAM），而非锂离子电池中使用的各类钴、镍及其他金属氧化物。
硫作为电池活性金属（CAM）具有多重优势。首先，其获取便捷（地球上第五大丰度元素），因此成本天然低于钴或镍。此外，硫在已形成电池制造中心的国家广泛开采，且常作为副产品生产，这些国家地缘政治风险较低，从而降低运输成本。综合这些因素，可显著降低电池每千瓦时的制造成本。
此外，锂硫电池的能量密度也高于锂离子电池。据估算，同等重量的锂硫电池可储存两倍于锂离子电池的能量。这意味着电动汽车既能大幅延长续航里程，也能显著减轻车身重量。
因此，硫离子电池在性能和成本上优于锂离子电池，且其供应链具有固有的安全性优势。硫离子电池尚未在电动汽车中广泛应用的原因只有一个：它们根本无法正常工作。
硒到硫的突破
锂硫电池的技术难题源于其内部发生的化学反应。具体而言，在充放电循环过程中，硫会从固态转变为液态，随后又重新固化。部分硫会残留在电解液中，导致不可逆的容量损失。这种现象使得每次循环后电池的充电容量都会急剧下降。
Solving this problem has been the focus of Li-S battery researchers for many years. Coherent has been working on it internally for a decade.
Our initial work focused on Li-Se (selenium) chemistry. Selenium and sulfur are both elements in Group VI of the periodic table. And Coherent has a lot of expertise in working with Group VI materials. That’s why the company was originally called II-VI!
我们的团队在2020年将研究重点从硒转向硫元素。如今我们已取得重大突破，成功解决了相关技术难题。这使我们能够制造出锂硫电池（更准确地说，是"硫阳极"），其储能能力可达到或接近该材料的理论极限。而且我们的阳极材料具有"可循环性"。
The groundbreaking Li-S battery technology developed by Coherent is the culmination of a decade of research within the company.
当然，还有其他团队也在研发锂硫电池。其中一些团队也取得了与我们相似的性能表现。
然而，我们的技术相较于其他方案存在一个重大差异和关键优势：我们的创新技术适用于阴极复合材料和浆料层面的散装材料。这意味着电池制造商无需更换设备，即可将我们的材料应用于现有阴极生产流程。
Given the massive amount investment in battery manufacturing capacity built around Li-ion chemistry, we believe that it is essential to offer manufacturers a smooth transition to Li-S. The Coherent Li-S technology extends the lifespan of the capital expenditures being made today.
人人都在奔向锂电时代
The potential of Li-S and the recent advances in the technology (by Coherent and others) are no news to anyone in the battery or EV industry. It is widely recognized in these communities that Li-S will eventually displace Li-ion. The United States Department of Energy also maintains this view. They are developing Li-S technology at National Laboratories and funding commercial research.
With our unmatched experience in Group VI materials and positive results to date, Coherent is well-positioned to take a leading role in the deployment of Li-S technology. We are commercializing this technology today with the materials and processes necessary to establish a starting point for manufacturers. These could include manufacturing CAMs, producing finished cathode components, and licensing our technology.
But no matter how we participate in the Li-S battery market, Coherent has already delivered key innovations that make sulfur cyclable in a way that incurs minimal cost and mass penalties. These will help transition the battery industry to materials with much greater supply chain security. And this will lower the barrier to mobile electrification, clearing the skies for the future of EVs.
Learn more about Coherent Li-S technology.
