Page 146 - CW E-Magazine (23-4-2024)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

potential sites for the new plant, we struction, and it will be funded entirely extreme ultraviolet (EUV) resists and BATTERY MATERIALS
selected this site in close cooperation by using the company’s own funds. others. The company established the
with both Gunma Prefecture and second production base in Fukui Pre- Orion begins work on US facility for making
Isesaki City. Shin-Etsu launched its photoresists fecture in 2016 and the third production
business in 1997 and started produc- base in Yunlin County in the western acetylene-based conductive additives
The company plans to invest in the tion of the then-most cutting-edge KrF part of Taiwan in 2019. Demand for
new plant in phases, with the fi rst phase photoresists at its Naoetsu Plant in semiconductor lithography materials Orion, the US-based speciality
of investment to be completed by 2026. Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Since then, is growing as they are indispensable chemicals company, has broken ground
The investment, including the acquisi- the company has developed and com- materials for the manufacture of cut- on a plant in Texas that will be the only
tion of the land, is expected to amount mercialised semiconductor lithography ting-edge semiconductors, and quality facility in the US producing acety-
to about 83-bn yen ($540-mn) at the materials such as photomask blanks, requirements are continuing to increase lene-based conductive additives for
completion of the fi rst phase of con- ArF photoresists, multilayer materials, in sophistication. lithium-ion batteries and other applica-
tions vital for the global shift to electrifi -
ENSURING CIRCULARITY cation. The battery additives at the
Altilium and Talga to recover graphite from waste La Porte site, southeast of Houston, will
be super clean, with only one-tenth of
EV batteries for reuse in green anode production the carbon footprint of other commonly
used materials, the company said in a
Altilium, a UK-based clean techno- next decade and China (which refi nes Altilium will supply Talga with press note.
logy group, is partnering with Australian over 90% of world’s graphite) recently graphite recovered from EV battery
battery materials and technology com- announcing controls on exports, a shift waste at its Battery Recycling Tech- “Orion is already the sole producer
pany Talga Group, to recover graphite towards self-suffi ciency will be critical nology Centre (ACT 1) in Tavistock of acetylene-based conductive additives
from old electric vehicle (EV) batteries for countries to meet growing needs of and new pilot plant in Plymouth in Europe. Our plant in La Porte will be
for reuse in the production of new bat- new green industries. (ACT 2), both in Devon (UK). The a pivotal step toward strengthening the
tery anodes. The collaboration marks 18,000-square-foot facility is sche- regional supply of conductive additives
a signifi cant step towards securing a According to forecasts by the duled to begin operations later in in the rapidly growing U.S. battery mar-
sustainable domestic source of graphite Advanced Propulsion Centre, UK anode 2024, processing signifi cant volumes ket,” Orion’s CEO Mr. Corning Painter From L to R: Ms. Sandra Niemien, Orion Managing Director, Senior VP – Global Specialty
for the UK EV battery industry. demand for graphite is forecast to reach of CAM and battery precursors for said at the groundbreaking ceremony. EMEA; Ms. Kim Foley, LyondellBasell Executive Vice President of Global Olefi ns and
46,000-mt by 2027, growing to 95,000-mt qualifi cation with OEM’s and cell Every battery requires conductive addi- Polyolefi ns, Refi ning and Supply Chain; Mr. Corby Alexander, La Porte City Manager;
Mr. Corning Painter, Orion CEO.
Graphite is the largest single mate- by 2030. Altilium’s planned Teesside manufacturers. tives. They enable a more effi cient fl ow
rial in lithium-ion batteries, comprising recycling plant will have capacity to of electricity and extend the lifetime of purity demanded by leading battery The facility also uses acetylene from
up to 50% of a battery by volume. recover 20,000-mt of graphite a year, Talga will use its patent pending lithium-ion batteries. The material also manufacturers. The acetylene will be LyondellBasell.
Altilium’s proprietary recycling process enough to meet over 20% of UK chemical purifi cation methods to gene- plays an essential role in high-voltage supplied by a neighbouring site owned
can recover over 99% of the graphite demand by 2030. Altilium is already rate high purity stock for the produc- cables used for wind and solar farms. by Equistar Chemicals LP, a subsidiary With the LaPorte project, key
from end-of-life EV batteries, allowing recovering critical battery metals, includ- tion of new anode active materials and of LyondellBasell. equipment procurement and off-site
these valuable resources to be returned ing lithium, to produce cathode active also carry out testing of coin cell and The additives produced at the La fabrication are already at an advanced
to the supply chain, while Talga’s green materials (CAM) for direct reuse in the single layer pouch cells. So far, test- Porte plant will be made from acety- Orion’s plant in La Porte is simi- stage. Field construction activities are
anode production technology results in battery supply chain. With the recovery ing of the recycled graphite has shown lene gas that Orion’s production pro- lar to one the company has in the city ramping up, with the facility start-up
dramatically lower CO emissions from of graphite, the company will be able a good match to primary graphite in cess turns into powder with exceptional of Berre-l’Étang in southern France. expected in the second quarter of 2025.
2
the making of EVs. to recycle all the battery components, areas of purity and physio-chemical
enabling full battery circularity. characteristics. Altilium is also part of Azelis acquires German speciality chemicals distributor
Under the agreement, the two com- a recently announced £30-mn colla-
panies will focus on optimising the Altilium’s fi rst mini-commercial borative project backed by the Advanced Azelis, the Belgian speciality chemi- Materials & Additives) in Germany and lateral value chain by leveraging DBH’s
recovery of graphite from battery waste to plant is currently under construction in Propulsion Centre (APC) and led cals and food ingredients distributor, Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). product portfolio, its expertise in the
produce a battery-grade product for use Plymouth while its planned Teesside by Nissan. Altilium is working with has expanded its portfolio in Germany German rubber & plastic additives
in new anodes. Until recently recycling plant will be one of the largest EV bat- Nissan Technical Centre Europe with the acquisition of the European “The acquisition reinforces Azelis’ market and its long-standing partnerships
of graphite was largely overlooked, tery recycling facilities in Europe. The (NTCE) to process waste from spent distribution business of DBH Osthan- footprint in industrial chemicals, with blue-chip principals. As a result
with recyclers focused on reclaiming company is backed by SQM Lithium Nissan Leaf batteries and production delsgesellschaft mbH. particularly within the AM&A market of the acquisition, Azelis strengthens
cathode metals from battery scrap. Ventures, the corporate venture arm scrap to recover the graphite for reuse segments in Germany and the CEE its team with 12 employees, including
However, with a growing shortfall of the lithium business of Sociedad in new anodes, as well as upcycling DBH is a specialty chemicals dis- region,” the company said in a press experienced sales specialists, supporting
in graphite supply expected over the Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM). cathode metals to high nickel CAM. tributor focused on AM&A (Advanced note. Azelis is expecting to enhance its nearly 200 customers.

146 Chemical Weekly April 23, 2024 Chemical Weekly April 23, 2024 147

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