Mitsubishi Chemical Increasing Li-ion NMC Cathode Material Production 3.7x
28 May 2010
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is increasing its production capacity of lithium-ion battery cathode materials some 3.7 times, from 600 tons per year to 2,200 tons per year.
Mitsubishi is manufacturing nickel-cobalt-manganese materials with a lower cobalt ratio (about 10%) than typical (usually about Ni:Mn:Co = 1:1:1, or about 33% cobalt content).
Mitsubishi Chemical makes all four of the major components of a lithium-ion battery: cathode, anode, separator and electrolyte.
Mitsubishi also recently announced that it had established a joint venture in China for the production of spherical graphite for use in Li-ion battery anode materials.
I'm not too keen on the chemistry. Not only is cobalt very nasty stuff, it is expensive.
Posted by: Davemart | 28 May 2010 at 03:40 AM
yup, but 10% is weight meaning ~16% in moles (a 1:1:1 has only 20% weight cobalt)
Posted by: b456 | 28 May 2010 at 04:51 AM
Chemistry used will evolve with battery technology. Batteries composition may be very different 10 or 20 years from now.
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 May 2010 at 08:19 AM
Mitsubishi will likely benefit from the expanded production of Nissan EV batteries if not with current chemistry, some future chemistry.
Posted by: sulleny | 28 May 2010 at 09:33 AM