In
this work, the production of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) for lithium-ion battery application is studied. Spreadsheet-based
process models are developed to simulate three different production
processes. These process models are then used to estimate and analyze
the factors affecting cost of manufacturing, energy demand, and environmental
impact due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The results indicate
that in a facility with a capacity of making 10,000 t per year of
LiPF6 the cost of production is around $20 per kg of LiPF6, energy consumption is around 30 GWh per year, and the emission
of greenhouse gases in CO2-equivalent gases is around 80
t per day. The impact of change in process and economic parameters
on the cost of production, energy demand, and emissions is studied.
In addition, a few insights on reducing the cost of production are
presented. Finally, the impact of varying LiPF6 costs on
the overall cost of a Li-ion battery ($ kWh–1) is
presented.