Integrals Power has announced a significant breakthrough in Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active materials for battery cells. Utilizing its proprietary materials technology and patented manufacturing process, the company has successfully addressed the reduction in specific capacity that typically occurs as the percentage of manganese increases. The outcome is cathode active materials that support higher voltages and high energy density.
By overcoming this trade-off, these LMFP materials combine the best features of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry—relatively low cost, long cycle life, and good low-temperature performance—with energy density comparable to more expensive Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) chemistries. This development could increase electric vehicle range by up to 20% or allow for smaller and lighter battery packs for a given range.
The LMFP materials feature 80% manganese, compared to the typical 50-70% found in competing materials, and deliver a specific capacity of 150mAh/g at a voltage of 4.1V (versus 3.45V for LFP). Third-party testing by experts at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) has been completed on coin cells, and evaluations using EV-representative pouch cells are underway. The developed materials will soon be available for cell suppliers, battery manufacturers, and OEMs to evaluate and benchmark.
Behnam Hormozi, Founder and CEO of Integrals Power, stated: “The challenge the automotive industry has faced for some time is to increase the percentage of manganese in LMFP cells while maintaining the same specific capacity as LFP. Traditional methods dictate that as more manganese is added, specific capacity drops, limiting energy density.”
“Our proprietary materials and patented production processes have enabled us to overcome this trade-off and raise manganese content to 80%, placing us at the cutting edge of LMFP chemistry. With third-party evaluations from GEIC, we are proud to have developed a world-class cell material in the UK that rivals the performance of NCM while being more sustainable and affordable, accelerating the transition to e-mobility.”
Nicky Savjani, GEIC’s Applications Manager in Energy, remarked: “The dedicated team in the GEIC Energy labs provides comprehensive support in battery materials development and evaluation, bridging academic innovations and industry demand to push next-generation technologies towards commercialization. Our GEIC Energy facility, combined with its dedicated team of battery engineers, is driving the push for decarbonizing the transport sector and reinforcing the UK’s leadership in developing sustainable battery technologies.”
“The battery cells we produced using Integrals Power’s LMFP materials demonstrated competitive specific capacity during testing, highlighting their potential to enhance EV efficiency and reduce costs by increasing range.”
Integrals Power produced the high-performance LMFP cathode active materials at its new UK facility, alongside its proprietary LFP chemistry. The ability to manufacture such materials in the UK is critical for developing a sustainable domestic battery industry, supporting not only the 2030 ban on new combustion engine vehicle sales but also the 2050 net-zero emissions targets.
Establishing manufacturing in the UK will enhance supply chain security and transparency, mitigating geopolitical issues such as import tariffs on EVs and their components. Integrals Power 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 the Chinese-manufactured cathode materials, which currently account for around 90% of production worldwide.
