Degussa and ENAX Set up JV for Lithium-Ion Batteries in China
29 June 2005
Degussa AG, one of the world’s largest specialty chemical companies, and the Japanese Lithium-ion battery company ENAX are setting up a joint venture in China to develop and manufacture lithium-ion battery electrodes. Both partners will hold a 50% stake.
ENAX is both the technology provider and the future research partner for the joint venture. Through the joint venture Degussa acquires a worldwide exclusive license to manufacture the new electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.
The new company will begin operations as Degussa Enax (Anqiu) Power Lion Technologies Co., Ltd. The joint venture is headquartered in Anqiu, in the northern Chinese province of Shandong.
The electrodes are to be produced at the Anqiu plant and then used at ENAX sites at Tianjing near Beijing and at Yonezawa in Japan. The medium-term plans include supplying electrodes to other battery manufacturers in Asia.
With the JV’s electrodes, Degussa will to expand its portfolio to include another important component for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. Degussa is targeting large format applications for its separator—i.e., full electric and hybrid electric vehicles, light electric vehicles such as bikes and scooters, APUs and specialty applications (aerospace, military).

Currently, Degussa offers a ceramic membrane separator (SEPARION, sketch at right), which consists of a flexible substrate, normally a non-woven polymer, coated with a porous ceramic layer. The pore size can be selectively set by an appropriate choice of ceramic coating material.
According to Degussa, the ceramic properties of the separator make it more temperature-stable than conventional polymer separators used in lithium-ion polymer batteries, and therefore contribute towards preventing short circuits in the battery.
Kazunori Ozawa, the project leader of Sony’s original Li-ion battery work at Sony, started ENAX in 1996 to develop his Laminated Sheet Battery (LSB).
The LSB batteries offer high power and energy densities. A large format LSB carries an energy density of 310 Wh/liter, according to ENAX. This exceeds the USABC (Advanced Battery Consortium) specification of 300 Wh/liter is far above the general range of Li-ion batteries.
ENAX is also keen on the future electric vehicle market—and especially in China.
Another example of market growth is the development in China. [We project] the increase in demand of Li-ion batteries for Electric Bikes (one application example of our Laminated Sheet Battery) between 2005 and 2010 to be more than 20%, and that of Hybrid Cars or Electric Cars to be 40% or even higher.
With these trends of increasing demand, we already have established a material procurement operation in Beijing, China. We have already expanded the production line at Yonezawa Laboratory and are establishing the electrode production factory in Anqiu.
—Kazunori Ozawa, ENAX CEO
ENAX has developed its own electric mini-car, the S3, and has also developed a larger prototype, the alpha ECV, using a Mitsubishi base.
FROM: SUNIL SHARMA
VOLMAC ENGG.(P)LIMITED
A-5 DSIDC ENGG.COMPLEX,
PHASE-1,IND.AREA MANGOLPURI,
DELHI-83,INDIA
TEL: 011-27915026
FAX: 011-27915028
MOBILE:9811068393
SIR,
WE ARE IN THE FIELD OF SALES,SERVICE AND HIRING OF MATERIAL
HANDLING EQUIPMENTS & BATTERY OPERATED VEHICLES FROM LAST
25 YEARS IN INDIA .
WE REPRESENT FOLLOWING FORKLIFT MANUFACTURERS
M/S MITSUBISHI CATERPILLAR -FORKLIFTS
M/S PUNJAB TRACTORS LIMITED-FORKLIFTS
M/S FTS ENGG. P.LIMITED-FORKLKIFTS
M/S TUDOR INDIA LIMITED-TRACTION BATTERY
M/S CURTIS-DC MOTOR SPEED CONTROLLERS
M/S ALBRIGHT -DC CONTACTORS(THRU CURTIS)
WE ARE NOW IN A PROCESS OF ASSEMBLING & MANUFACTURING
OF OUR OWN BRANDS OF BATTERY OPERATED VEHICLES IN INDIA.
WE ARE PRESENTLY USING CHLORIDE MOTIVE POWER -ENGLAND
MAKE LEAD ACID BATTERIES , THESE BATTERIES HAVE TUBLAR
PLATES AND ARE OF VERY GOOD QUALITY BUT THE LIFE OF THESE
BATTERIES IS ONLY 2YEARS AND THEY GIVE THE MILAGE OF
JUST 75KM PER CHARGE , CHARGING TIME OF THESE 8-10HOURS
IN NORMAL MODE .
THE BATTERY THAT WE ARE PRESENTLY USING IS OF 72V/200AH,
LEAD ACID BATTERY.
WE HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO USE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES FOR
MORE LIFE AND MORE RANGE PER CHARGE.
WE WANT THAT OUR THREE WHEELERS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY RUNNING
80KM/CHARGE SHOULD RUN ATLEAST 200-250KM PER CHARGE AND CHARGING
TIME SHOULD BE REDUCED MOREOVER THE LIFE OF THE BATTERY SHOULD
BE ATLEAST 3-4 YEARS .
NOW RECOMMEND US SUITBALE LITHIUM ION BATTERY TO MEET OUR ABOVE
REQUIREMENTS.
PLEASE QUOTE YOUR BEST DEALER RATES FOR:
1.72V/200AH
2.48V/100AH
3.48V/20AH
PLEASE REPLY SO THAT WE CAN COME DOWN TO YOUR FACTORY AND
DISCUSS THE SAME FOR FUTURE BUSINESS .
REGARDS
SUNIL SHARMA-DIRECTOR
Posted by: VOLMAC | 27 July 2005 at 12:02 AM
please send info on lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles cost and availablity
Posted by: roy white | 26 March 2006 at 04:58 PM
dear sir,
To drive the battery operated vehicle whether licences are required or not and what is speed limit to drive battery operated vehicle could u please send us the details immediately.
Posted by: srinivasan | 12 July 2006 at 09:41 PM
Hybrid Technologies Inc. is capable to to evaluate any lithium ion battery with different chemistry, synthesize cathode material suitable for both high energy density and power density lithium ion battery, design and implement battery management system, lithium ion battery, electrical wire harness for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle.
We appreciate your comments.
Posted by: Dr. Surajit Sengupta | 19 June 2007 at 07:12 AM