BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future. The approximately 110,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world.
WS #A: Raw and advanced Materials
In the area of raw and advanced materials, the focus will be on raw materials, active materials and processes.
For example, developing new very high purity battery chemical products; re-designing the electrode binders and developing new components for liquid electrolyte to achieve higher energy densities and introducing novel processing and upscaling technologies.
IPCEI Partner
BASF
Our portfolio is divided into six segments with eleven divisions. In addition to battery materials, BASF's Catalysts division is also responsible for our world-leading portfolio of environmental and process catalysts. BASF’s technology platform Process Research & Chemical Engineering develops new technologies and processes not only for battery research, but also for the very wide range of chemical processes.
Description of the project
E-mobility in Europe requires a locally integrated, cost-effective battery value chain that can deliver high-performance and sustainable batteries. BASF is planning a new plant for the production of cathode active materials (CAM) in Schwarzheide, Germany, which can produce cathode active materials of the latest and next generation according to innovative production processes. The project also includes intensive research activities for specific product properties and efficient recycling technology. Moreover, BASF is planning a new plant for the production of precursors (PCAM) in Harjavalta, Finland.
Keliber
Keliber Technology Oy (Keliber) is a Finland-based SME aiming at production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide (monohydrate) for the growing lithium-ion battery Industry.
Company’s own lithium ore will be used as raw material. Keliber will utilize sustainable and cost-effective soda pressure leaching technology for hydrometallurgical lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide production. The production is planned to start late 2024 and reach full annual capacity of 15 000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate in 2025 comparable for production of about 25 GWh of lithium-ion batteries.
Description of the project
Keliber’s main objective is to further develop and optimize company’s production process and secure sustainable production of high-quality lithium hydroxide fulfilling the cost, quality, and safety requirements of the customers. Novel on-line monitoring techniques are used for the process and final product quality optimization. Additionally, Keliber will increase the cooperation with participating downstream processing companies for becoming a solid part of the European lithium-ion battery value chain.
Nanocyl
Nanocyl SA is the industrial multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) expert and a worldwide industry leader in the development, manufacturing and sales of MWCNT and MWCNT formulated products.
With its 460tons/year annual MWCNT production capacity, Nanocyl has been serving the automotive, electronic and battery industries for almost 20 years with its MWCNTs. In lithium-ion batteries, MWCNT are used as conductive additives in cathode and anode formulations. Thanks to their unique morphology and intrinsinc properties, MWCNT improve internal conductivity, energy density and capacity retention performances of Li-ion cells.
Description of the project
Nanocyl aims to develop a new high purity carbon nanotube showing the best morphology to maximize Li-ion cell performances and using innovative production processes that are more environmentally friendly than processes currently used by the industry.
SYENSQO
Syensqo is a science company developing groundbreaking solutions that enhance the way we live, work, travel and play. Inspired by the scientific councils which Ernest Solvay initiated in 1911, we bring great minds together to push the limits of science and innovation for the benefit of our customers, with a diverse, global team of more than 13,000 associates in 30 countries. Our solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices and health care applications. Our innovation power enables us to deliver on the ambition of a circular economy and explore breakthrough technologies that advance humanity.
In the Lithium Battery market Syensqo is focusing the majority of its activities in developing innovative materials that enable battery components (anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, separators..) and cells to improve their performance.
Description of the project
The focus of Syensqo’s innovation efforts in IPCEI projects is to bring new, innovative materials that will allow the advent of next generation batteries. Syensqo will develop advanced materials as new electrolytes ingredients, formulations and binders either for liquid electrolyte and solid-state systems that could enable the commercialization of GEN 3 and GEN 4 cells having higher energy densities and simultaneously lower costs and improved safety.
Terrafame
Terrafame Oy (Terrafame), a multi-metal mining Finland-based company producing nickel, zinc and cobalt and with an objective of producing battery grade nickel and cobalt sulfate and a subsidiary of FMG.
Umicore AG & Co. KG
Umicore is a materials technology company with activities in the area of recycling, catalysis and energy and surface technologies. The Umicore group has production sites over the whole world and serves customers worldwide.
In 2019 Umicore has achieved 17 Milliard (3.3 w/o metal) Euro and has been employing 11150 coworkers. Based on many years of experience in the area of metallurgy and recycling Umicore has developed and installed the worldwide first industrial recycling process for Li-Ion, Li-Polymer and NiMH batteries with high metal recovery rates.
Description of the project
The objective of the project is the development of a safe and efficient concept for the collection, transport and storage of high volumes of End-of-Life (EoL) Batteries from Hybrid and battery electric vehicles (xEVs), and also of a highly efficient battery dismantling process as important pre-step for the metallurgical recycling in a technology center for battery recycling.
This contributes to the installation of a sustainable and safe circular economy and supply of technology metals for battery materials in Europe.
Technology Fields
Overview of the the IPCEI Batteries RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) and FID (First Industrial Development) work streams