# LiFSI Priced Over 10% Below LiPF6 as Additive Moves Toward Main Salt Role

LiFSI's mainstream transaction price was more than 10% below LiPF6 as of October 2026, with lithium carbonate at about 100,000 yuan per tonne, as the additive moves toward a main-salt role in electrolytes, GGII data presented by Gaogong Lithium Battery shows\. GGII expects LiFSI's combined electrolyte addition ratio to reach 4-6% by 2030 and global shipments to reach 3\.5-7 times the 2025 level\.

By China EV Signal
Published: 2026-11-04T13:55:10.389Z
Updated: 2026-11-04T13:55:10.391Z
Canonical article: https://chinaevsignal.com/news/lifsi-price-below-lipf6-additive-to-main-salt-2026

## Key takeaways

- As of October 2026, with lithium carbonate at about 100,000 yuan per tonne, LiFSI's mainstream transaction price was more than 10% lower than LiPF6's, according to Gaogong Lithium Battery's report on GGII data\.
- LiFSI's addition ratio in electrolytes has risen from 0\.5-2% toward 2-4%, with some leading battery makers verifying formulations at a 6% addition ratio\.
- GGII expects LiFSI's combined electrolyte addition ratio to reach 4-6% by 2030, with global shipments 3\.5-7 times the 2025 level\.

LiFSI's mainstream transaction price was more than 10% below LiPF6 as of October 2026, under lithium carbonate prices of about 100,000 yuan per tonne, according to a Gaogong Lithium Battery report citing GGII data\. The report said falling costs have made LiFSI a cost-reduction option for downstream customers replacing LiPF6\.

Process improvements, scale-up and lower raw material prices have cut LiFSI costs by more than 60% over the past five years, according to the report\. LiFSI's lithium mass fraction is 3\.71%, below LiPF6's 4\.57%, meaning less lithium equivalent is needed per tonne and the cost advantage widens as lithium prices rise\.

The LiFSI addition ratio in electrolytes has gradually moved from 0\.5-2% toward 2-4%, and the report said the ratio is expected to keep rising\. Some leading battery makers have begun verifying the technical feasibility of electrolyte formulations with a 6% LiFSI addition ratio\.

According to chart data in the report, the LiFSI addition ratio rose from 0\.1-1\.5% in 2018-2021 to 1\.5-2% in 2021-2023, then 1\.5-3% with some formulations above 4% in 2023-2025 and 2-4% with some above 5% in 2025-2026\. For 2026 onward the chart shows 3-6%, with some formulations above 7%\.

The report said the industry-accepted fix for LiFSI's corrosion of aluminum foil current collectors is adding LiODFB as a lithium-based additive, which suppresses corrosion while retaining LiFSI's advantages\. It also expects the combined application ratio of LiPF6, LiFSI and LiODFB to keep rising and become one of the core lithium salt systems in electrolytes\. GGII expects LiFSI's combined electrolyte addition ratio to reach 4-6% by 2030\.

GGII expects global LiFSI shipments in 2030 to reach 3\.5-7 times the 2025 level\. It projects an average annual compound growth rate of 30-50% over the next five years\.

Current planned LiFSI industry capacity exceeds 100,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to more than 300,000 tonnes per year in liquid phase terms\. The report said the main expansion players are concentrated among companies including Tinci Materials, Rukon New Materials, Weipu and Capchem\.

Effective new capacity in 2027 compared with 2026 will be less than 60,000 tonnes, under 70% of planned capacity actually built\. LiFSI production is highly corrosive to equipment, requiring frequent maintenance, and actual equipment utilization is below 90% of design values\.

Chart data in the report shows effective capacity of 50,000-60,000 tonnes per year in 2025, 80,000-90,000 tonnes per year in 2026 and 120,000-140,000 tonnes per year in 2027\. Actual effective capacity utilization is shown at 80-85% in 2025, 82-87% in 2026 and 85-90% in 2027\.

Tinci Materials is shown with more than 40,000 tonnes of capacity completed by the end of 2026 and monthly shipments in the 2,000-tonne range, ranking first by monthly shipments in 2026\. Rukon New Materials is shown at the 1,000-tonne level in monthly shipments, ranking second\.

The report's chart lists Yongtai Technology and Weipu together with 15,000-30,000 tonnes of capacity completed by the end of 2026 and monthly shipments of 500-1,000 tonnes\. It groups Capchem, Lianhe Technology, Do-Fluoride, Huasheng Lithium, Haike New Energy and Kangpeng Technology with less than 15,000 tonnes of capacity completed by the end of 2026 and monthly shipments in the hundreds of tonnes\.

The report said LiFSI supply currently combines electrolyte-integrated producers and independent third-party specialist plants, and GGII expects both models to coexist long term\.

GGII recommended that LiFSI companies prepare project approvals in advance and plan expansion pacing to respond quickly to a surge in demand\. It also advised downstream customers to consider signing long-term purchase contracts with LiFSI producers early to strengthen raw material cost competitiveness\.

## Original publisher

高工锂电. Published: 2026-11-03T11:31:05.000Z