Lithium Ion Abbreviation Standards?

[AlphaZen]

It seems odd to me that for LiMn style batteries, they have adopted the "IMR" tag, but for LiCo style batteries, they are usually differentiated from the IMR cells by calling them LiCo.
It seems like it should be LiCo and LiMn, or IMR and ICR. I am super new to Li-Ion batteries in general, so maybe there is something I don't know, but does anyone else feel me on this? :shrug:

 

[Battery Guy]

Here is a very nice summary of lithium-ion cell abbreviations, posted by Mr. Happy in another thread:

It's a code used by the battery manufacturers for designating different kinds of lithium ion cell.

As far as I can understand it (doubtless someone can correct the details if they are wrong), it goes like this:

I = lithium ion
C/M/F = cobalt/manganese/iron phosphate chemistry
R = rechargeable(?)

Therefore,

ICR 18650 = lithium cobalt oxide (traditional) cylindrical cell
IMR 18650 = lithium manganese oxide cylindrical cell
IFR 18650 = lithium iron phosphate cylindrical cell

all of which are rechargeable lithium ion cells 18 mm diameter by 65 mm long, and each of which has different voltages and electrical properties.

Note that the difference between the "chemistry" is all about the cathode. Traditionally, the anode has been either hard carbon or graphite in lithium-ion cells. However, that is now changing. Sony and Panasonic are using graphite-supported nano silicon and nano tin anodes, which enable higher capacity. Also, a company called Altairnano has patented a completely different anode material known as "titanate", which is a lithium titanium oxide.

My point is that in the past, the abbreviations have denote the cathode chemistry, while essentially ignoring the anode chemistry because everyone used carbon or graphite. Now, things are changing and it will be interesting to see how the cell chemistry abbreviation standards keep up with the industry.

Cheers,
BG