What is grade A LiFePO4 battery cells? What are LiFePO4 battery cell grades? How do manufacturers use cell grades in the manufacturing of batteries? How do the different grades affect the quality of a battery?
When the battery cell manufacturers produce the same batch of cells, they will be classified according to the battery’s discharge test performance and divided into four categories ABCD.
Cells are always categorized to be graded A, B, C and D but there is not a single manufacturing standard for categorizing cells; each manufacturing factory may have their own standard so thus cell grade categorization is not necessarily scientific.
What is Grade A LiFePO4 Battery Cells?
Grade A cell is the name of the battery’s high-quality standard. Grade A LiFePO4 battery cells are within the range of technical parameters in all aspects of the parameters, the appearance is intact(no damage), no swelling, amd no abnormal battery can be called grade A. Its battery materials, technology, energy storage, stable charge and discharge, specifications, and constant temperature standards are all industry high-quality standards.
Grade A LiFePO4 battery cell is generally to make the factory using the battery cell directly place an order to the battery cell factory. The battery cell factory arranges production according to the factory’s own production capacity and technical ability. After a series of battery cell manufacturing processes, the final product is delivered to the customer. Before placing an order, the battery production plant generally communicates battery capacity, thickness, length, width and other parameters.
Then the battery made completely according to the standard of the order is called grade A cell.
What is Grade B LiFePO4 Battery Cells?
The efficiency of the grade B cell is 80%~90% of that of the grade A, and its battery materials, technology, energy storage, repeated charge, and discharge, etc. are a little bit different from the grade A cell, especially the defective rate, the defective rate of a cell in the battery pack It will cause the energy storage of the entire battery pack, leading to instability such as charging and discharging.
Any factory produces products, there must be a defect rate. Then this defect rate determines the vitality of a factory. In the lithium battery industry, there will not be a big gap between the first-line lithium battery and the third-line lithium battery factory based on technology, ingredients, etc., but in the production process and manufacturing process, there will be A difference in defect rate is very large. First-tier manufacturers can achieve about 2%, while second-and third-tier manufacturers may achieve 5-10%. It is precisely because of this defective rate that a grade B battery is created.
In fact, there is only a slight gap in the capacity of the grade B battery, or the length and width do not meet the order specifications, but there won’t be much of a drawback in terms of performance, and the price is cheaper than the grade A.
In addition, if a grade A cell is generally placed in a warehouse if it has not been shipped for 3-6 months, it is also called grade B. Of course, this is just a popular saying.
What is Grade C LiFePO4 Battery Cells?
Grade C batteries are below average in every way, which is lower than the standards of Grade A and B cells. The energy storage, stable charging and discharging efficiency, battery materials, technology, and repeated charging, and discharging of Grade C batteries are quite different from those of Grade A batteries.
To be precise, Grade B cells have been stored in the warehouse for more than 8 months. If they are still not shipped, they can be called Grade C. Grade C cells are due to the long storage time and the aging of self-discharge, dust and moisture, so Grade C batteries are most prone to swelling.
How to Distinguish Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C Cells?
The term “Grade A Cells” has been used by hundreds of battery retailers and online stores as a marketing phrase designed to convey a sense of top quality and performance. However, normally there are Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C types of battery cells. A manufacturer will rate the cells they produce so as to categorize the performance differences of ONLY the cells they produce. So one manufacturer’s type of “Grade A” may be equivalent to another manufacturer’s “Grade C” or worse!
The best way to know a cell is Grade A or Grade B is to check if the cell meets the manufacturers’ specifications.
I’ve a newbie to this lifepo4 battery stuff. Thanks for this useful information. My understanding is grade A fully meets spec cell as manufactured. B does not meet manufactured spec, or has shipping or storage damage, but still reaches above 80% original spec. Then Where is the manufacturing grading specification for a Grade A or B?
Thank you for the description. Now battery cell grading is a process of categorizing cells into grades (Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C). Every grade is important to the manufacturer, meaning there is not one grade that is better than another. In fact, every manufacturer wants to make and sell each cell grade because of the unique differences of each grade and because each cell grade has a specific market and device segment.
Therefore, cells are always categorized to be graded A, B, and C but there is not a single manufacturing standard for categorizing cells; each manufacturing factory may have its own standard so thus cell grade categorization is not necessarily scientific.
I’m trying to learn what the pros/cons are between brand new Grade A and brand new Grade B batteries.
I found a few articles about this and it seems that new batteries are differentiated between
a) internal resistance
b) charging capacity
The easiest way to distinguish between GRADE A and Type B batteries is that GRADE A cells have the original manufacturer’s test report. The data should include the internal resistance, voltage, capacity, and product code of each cell (usually the same as the information on the QR code). Without these, 99% may be GRADE B batteries cells.
Thanks for this informative post!
Let me ask a little, how about the cycle life 2000,2500,3000,3500,6000,7000 and 10000 I found in seller’s specification. How do you think it can related with Grade A, A+,B,C?
Hey Nay Linn. Thank you very much for your message. The best way to know if a battery is A or B is to check that the battery meets the manufacturer’s specifications. Of course, the higher the number of cycles, the longer the battery life.
Grade A will meet the datasheet. So if the Eve LF280N says 6,000 cycles (I might be wrong but just go with the number) then you will see 6000 full cycles with 80% of the original capacity remaining, 224Ah after those 6,000. There are other conditions that must be met. Some datasheets state that is only for cells that are discharged 90% or 80%. Some allow 100% discharge. Keeping your cells out of the temperature damage zones will also factor into the life cycles. Assuming a perfect climate for their entire life (15C to 25C) the 6000 number should hold very true
Grade B can mean whatever the manufacturer wants it to mean. There might be a full grading system that deducts points based on weight, capacity, discharge testing voltage sag, etc. I would guess Grade B under perfect conditions will see 4,000 cycles to 80% State of Health
This is entirely a guess. A cell that just barely got classed as Grade B and spent little time in a warehouse during moderate weather might see 6,000 but suffer a little on another number. 1C discharge might have a little more voltage sag than a true Grade A or the 2C peak might be impossible to hit after a certain point and you are limited to 1.5C for 10 seconds
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In the meantime, I’m glad to hear that you’re looking forward to my next post. If there’s anything in particular that you’re interested in learning more about, please let me know, and I’ll try to incorporate it into my next post.
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You mentioned here that if an A-cell is stored in the warehouse for 3-6 months, is then classified as B-cell, and if a B cell is stored over 8 months is then classified as a C-cell. Are those industry standards? Or guidelines given by an entity? Or might be different for each manufacturer, or are there even manufacturers which do not reclassify their cells?
Thank you!
Hi! Is there a standard about how long can a cell by stored in the warehouse before needing reclassification? Or manufacturers set their own standard or and even some of them dont reclassify the cells?
The storage duration for cells in a warehouse before needing reclassification can vary depending on factors such as the type of cell, manufacturer guidelines, and industry standards. While there might not be a universally standardized timeframe, manufacturers typically provide recommendations for the safe storage and handling of their products.
Battery manufacturers often conduct studies and evaluations to determine the optimal storage conditions and shelf life of their cells. They consider factors such as cell chemistry, packaging, temperature, and other environmental conditions.
It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for cell storage and reclassification to ensure the cells remain safe and effective. If you’re unsure about the specific guidelines for a particular type of cell, it’s best to consult the manufacturer or refer to our documentation and guidelines. In the documentation, you can find the most accurate information regarding the storage duration and any necessary reclassification procedures for their products.
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