Page 159 - CW E-Magazine (27-8-2024)

News from Abroad

ELECTRIC MOBILITY
Chemours opens battery innovation centre in US

Chemours, US-based perfor- “Chemours is dedicated to apply-
mance chemistry fi rm, has unveiled its ing our advanced chemistry and mate-
‘Chemours Battery Innovation Center rial science knowledge to accelerate
(CBIC)’ in Newark, Delaware (USA). the electric future,” said Mr. Gerardo
Familiar, President of Advanced Per-
The laboratory facility, involving formance Materials at Chemours. “For
a “multi-million-dollar” investment example, our Tefl on fl uoropolymer
amount, will support the testing and binders are vital in developing sol-
scaling of next generation battery tech- vent-free battery electrode manufactur-
nologies, to enable “more sustainable, ing, which unlocks the path for more
cost-effective, energy-effi cient, and cost-effective and energy-effi cient
high-performing batteries for hybrid vehicles. Through the CBIC, we can
and electric vehicles (EVs)”. application development expertise to enable the adoption and scalability of this
drive innovation in partnership with novel dry electrode coating technology
Ms. Denise Dignam, President and customers to scale production of more to advance the capabilities of LiBs and
CEO at Chemours, said the centre is an sustainable, high-performance lithium- the electric vehicle industry,” he added.
investment in the long-term potential of ion batteries (LiBs). The facility will “The CBIC’s equipment and data
improving the sustainability footprint serve as a technical support lab for analytics capabilities enable predictive
and performance of hybrid and electric partners and customers to collaborate modelling to help EV manufacturers
vehicle batteries. with Chemours’ engineers to iterate, adopt this novel battery manufacturing
pilot, and adopt novel approaches to technology to make better-performing
The CBIC will leverage Chemours’ fabricating cost-effective LiBs. EVs a reality,” the company informed.

GIGA-SCALE FACTORY
Natron Energy setting up $1.4-bn sodium-ion battery

facility in US

Sodium-ion battery technology spe- transfer sodium-ions faster, and with
cialist, Natron Energy, has announced lower internal resistance than any other
plans to build the fi rst sodium-ion bat- commercial battery on the market today.
tery gigafactory in the US. The facility The company’s battery chemistry
will be located in Edgecombe County, presents zero strain during charging
North Carolina, and is expected to pro- and discharge, 10x faster cycling than
duce 24-GW of Natron’s sodium-ion traditional lithium-ion batteries, and
batteries annually at full capacity. 50,000+ cycle life.

The nearly 1.2- million sq. ft. facility, pany’s technology commercialisation. “Natron’s supply chain requires
located at the 437-acre Kingsboro Natron said its UL-listed sodium-ion zero lithium, cobalt, nickel, or other
megasite, will represent a total invest- batteries will be delivered to a wide diffi cult-to-obtain minerals. Made from
ment of nearly $1.4-bn from Natron range of customer end markets in the commodity materials including aluminium,
Energy, facilitated in part by a govern- industrial power space, including data iron, manganese, and sodium elec-
ment grant. centres, mobility, EV fast charging, trolyte, Natron’s cells, modules, and
microgrids, and telecom, among others. battery represent an environmentally
The Edgecombe facility will enable and socially responsible alternative to
a 40x scale-up of Natron’s current pro- According to Natron, its patented lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries,” the
duction capacity, accelerating the com- Prussian blue electrodes store and company claimed.

Chemical Weekly August 27, 2024 159

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