What is the role of the lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate?

The cathode materials commonly used in LIBs (e.g., LiFePO4 called LFP, or LiNiMnCoO2 – called NMC) are produced from lithium salt and other metal salt precursors using chemical processes. The lower energy density materials (or LFP) typically use lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) as one of their precursor chemicals. NMC materials, on the other hand, have higher energy density and are the preferred materials in many sectors such as the automotive industry. The lithium precursor for these materials is generally lithium hydroxide (LiOH).