North American lithium-ion battery provide chain boosted via localization of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) manufacturing

BOSTON, Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions enterprise Koura right now introduced that it has signed a know-how licensing settlement with Kanto Denka Kogyo for lithium hexafluorophoshate (LiPF6), a essential lithium-ion battery materials. The settlement gives Koura with entry to Kanto Denka Kogyo’s world-class know-how and trade experience in industrial LiPF6 manufacturing.

Currently, there isn’t a large-scale manufacturing of LiPF6 in North America. With important progress of the U.S. electrical autos market, demand for lithium-ion batteries and supplies is rising. Orbia is working to safe North America’s provide of key battery supplies and lately introduced the primary U.S. manufacturing plant for LiPF6 in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, partially funded by a $100 million U.S. Department of Energy Award. 

“Kanto Denka Kogyo is recognized by the major battery producers for its reliable and high quality LiPF6 technology. We are excited to extend this production know-how to Koura, as they are best suited to build and operate a LiPF6 plant in North America with their vertically-integrated fluorspar and fluorine value chain. Customers will now have access to known LiPF6 performance in North America,” stated Junichi Hasegawa, President of Kanto Denka Kogyo.

“As one of the pioneers and known leader in the high quality manufacture of LiPF6, Kanto Denka Kogyo is the ideal partner for Koura to progress our energy strategy and be ready to meet growing demand for a domestic supply of LiPF6,” stated Gregg Smith, President of Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura). “Accessing a proven technology with our license from Kanto Denka Kogyo along with support from the U.S. Department of Energy ensures we are ready to meet customer needs as lithium-ion battery plants are built and the market grows.”

As the operator of the world’s largest fluorspar mine, Koura is working with trade companions and researchers to transform the fabric into a variety of superior battery supplies, together with electrolyte salts, binders and high-performance electrolyte components for lithium-ion batteries. Koura’s distinctive ‘mine-to-market’ vertically built-in place, experience in fluorine know-how and funding in recycled and various sources of Lithium allows the enterprise to deal with right now’s problem of the home provide chain for lithium-ion batteries.

About Orbia

Orbia is an organization pushed by a shared function: to advance life world wide. Orbia operates within the Polymer Solutions (Vestolit and Alphagary), Building and Infrastructure (Wavin), Precision Agriculture (Netafim), Connectivity Solutions (Dura-Line) and Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) sectors. The 5 Orbia enterprise teams have a collective deal with increasing entry to well being and wellness, reinventing the way forward for cities and houses, guaranteeing meals and water safety, connecting communities to data and accelerating a round financial system with primary and superior supplies, specialty merchandise and revolutionary options. Orbia has a worldwide staff of over 23,000 workers, industrial actions in additional than 110 international locations and operations in over 50, with international headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. The firm generated $8.8 billion in income in 2021. To be taught extra, go to: orbia.com.

About Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura)

Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions enterprise Koura is a worldwide chief within the improvement, manufacture and provide of fluoroproducts that play a elementary position in enhancing on a regular basis lives and shortening the trail to a sustainable, round financial system. Backed by over 35 years of expertise, Koura’s merchandise are utilized in an unlimited vary of purposes together with electrical autos and vitality storage, city and rural infrastructure, indoor local weather administration, meals and drugs refrigeration and even in treating respiratory situations via the event of wholesome and revolutionary low-GWP propellants for metered-dose inhalers. Koura has 1,600 workers and 13 manufacturing services worldwide, serving 60 international locations via a worldwide gross sales and distribution community.

About Kanto Denka Kogyo

Since its founding in 1938, Kanto Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd. has constructed up specialised applied sciences and know-how in electrolysis and different fields in addition to over 50 years of expertise within the manufacture of fluorochemicals. Kanto Denka Kogyo fluorochemical merchandise are indispensable for the manufacture of semiconductors and flat panel shows and their high quality is held in extraordinarily excessive esteem by the market. Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), a high-purity electrolyte for lithium-ion secondary batteries that Kanto Denka Kogyo began manufacturing in 1997, is equipped to many shoppers worldwide. Kanto Denka Kogyo are the one firm in Japan to mass-produce this product. Kanto Denka Kogyo will proceed striving to be a inventive development-driven firm, growing distinctive, extremely aggressive merchandise that present worth to the world’s most superior know-how and contributing to the conclusion of a sustainable society.

Media Contact, Orbia

Kacy Karlen
Chief Communications Officer, Orbia
[email protected]
865.410.3001

Media Contact, Koura

Valeria Barragan Villanueva
Director, PM Chemicals and Strategic Marketing, Koura
[email protected]
+44 7873 626557

Media Contact, Kanto Denka Kogyo

Legal & General Affairs Dept.
[email protected]

SOURCE Koura, an Orbia enterprise