High-quality ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, used as electrolyte solvents, are critical to the reliable operation and long working life of lithium-ion batteries. Huntsman markets high-purity cyclic carbonates under its ULTRAPURE brand. Huntsman says that the efficiency improvements at the Conroe plant will position it to meet the lithium-ion battery market’s immediate and growing demand for electrolyte solvent.

Stu Monteith, president of Huntsman Performance Products, said that the company is also thinking about the market’s needs over the next three to five years, and is exploring a new carbonates manufacturing facility to produce cyclic and linear carbonates.

Huntsman Performance Products currently has 80 million pounds of carbonates capacity at its Conroe plant, and will continue to produce its full line of JEFFSOL standard grade propylene, ethylene and glycerine carbonates.