Cathode Active Materials (CAM)

CAM (cathode active material) is the engineered cathode powder that defines much of an EV lithium-ion battery’s energy density, cost, rate capability, and cycle life. CAM is manufactured from refined battery chemicals and precursor materials through controlled mixing, calcination, and post-processing. Because qualification is chemistry-specific and customer-specific, CAM manufacturing capacity is not fully fungible: the ability to make “tons” of CAM does not automatically translate into qualified supply for a given cell platform.

CAM vs pCAM (precursor CAM)

Battery material supply chains commonly separate the precursor stage from the final cathode material stage.

• pCAM (precursor cathode active material): a metal hydroxide or carbonate precursor (for example Ni-Mn-Co) produced through co-precipitation; later converted into CAM.
• CAM (cathode active material): the final lithiated cathode powder created by combining pCAM with lithium sources and calcining to form the cathode crystal structure.

Common CAM chemistries

CAM chemistry defines energy density, cost, and cycle life.

CAM manufacturing flow (simplified)

• Refined battery chemicals (Ni, Co, Mn sulfates; LiOH or Li₂CO₃) are converted into pCAM (for layered cathodes) via co-precipitation and purification.
• pCAM is blended with lithium source and dopants, then calcined under controlled atmosphere to form the final cathode crystal structure.
• Post-processing (milling, classification, surface treatment) tunes particle size distribution and surface chemistry.
• Qualification validates electrochemical performance, impurity stability, and batch consistency across production lots.

What "battery-grade CAM" implies

Battery-grade CAM is defined by consistency and electrochemical behavior, not only chemical composition.

• Impurity control: trace metals and residuals can degrade cathode structure and accelerate aging.
• Particle engineering: size distribution, morphology, and surface area affect electrode packing and first-cycle loss.
• Surface chemistry: coatings and treatments stabilize the cathode-electrolyte interface and enable higher voltage operation.
• Statistical control: stable lot-to-lot behavior is required for automated cell lines and warranty-grade performance.

Worldwide CAM production plants

The table below lists representative CAM production facilities arounf the world. Status reflects publicly described operating or development position; actual qualification status is customer-specific.

Worldwide pCAM (precursor) production bases

Many large suppliers operate pCAM plants as upstream inputs to CAM. This table lists representative pCAM bases where the precursor stage is explicitly disclosed.

U.S. CAM production plants

List of the major production plants in the U.S. for producing CAM, and lithium inputs to, EV batteries.

Supply Chain & Adoption

Battery-grade refining and CAM production are the most strategic chokepoints between raw mining and gigafactory cell assembly. Control of these midstream assets determines which regions can secure battery supply chains. Without localized CAM production, even domestic mines cannot feed regional gigafactories efficiently. Securing diversified supply of both natural and synthetic graphite for anodes is considered as strategic as cathode supply in the midstream battery chain.

Western supply chains are racing to build CAM production facilities in the U.S., EU, and allied countries to comply with IRA and EU Critical Raw Materials Act requirements. Risks include long lead times (3–5 years for refineries), high capex, permitting hurdles, and IP concentration in Asian firms.