Lithium hexafluorophosphate is an inorganic compound with the formula LiPF6. Lithium hexafluorophosphate which is soluble in non aqueous polar solvents is an important chemical for the production of lithium ion batteries.
Lithium hexafluorophosphate is one of the most used electrolyte salt in the production of lithium ion batteries. Electrolyte Lithium Hexafluorophosphate for Lithium-ion Batteries has the ability of dissolving in binary and ternary solvents which cyclic carbonates and linear carbonates can be given as example. After lithium hexafluorophosphate dissolves in these solvents, it shows high electrolytic conductivity and thermal stability which is a desired property for lithium ion batteries.
There are many metal salts that are used in lithium ion battery applications but we can say that lithium hexafluorophosphate is the best one. Lithium hexafluorophosphate has different balanced properties to be used in lithium ion battery applications. For example, lithium hexafluorophosphate has a lower conductivity than lithium hexafluoroarsenate in the commonly used carbonate solvent mixtures, a lower ionic mobility than lithium tetrafluoroborate, a lower thermal stability than most of the other salts, a lower anodic stability than lithium hexafluoroarsenate and lithium hexafluoroantimonate (LiAsF6), and a lower chemical stability toward ambient moisture than lithium perchlorate and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate.
Lithium hexafluorophosphate gives the best results among the salts given above. These properties make lithium hexafluorophosphate the most used chemical in lithium ion battery applications. In 1990, lithium hexafluorophosphate was used by Sony in the first generation lithium ion cell, and since then, its position in the lithium ion industry has remained unchallenged.
