Specialty chemicals company LANXESS and battery materials manufacturer IBU-tec advanced materials have entered into a research cooperation to develop innovative iron oxides for the production of cathode material for LFP batteries and thus increase the performance of this battery type.

The companies aim to optimize the electrochemical properties of LFP batteries, such as energy density, charging speed and number of charging cycles.

More car manufacturers are increasingly relying on LFP (lithium/iron/phosphate) batteries for their e-vehicles—especially for volume models. Compared to NMC (nickel/manganese/cobalt oxide) and NCA (nickel/cobalt/aluminum oxide) cell chemistry systems, LFP technology offers cost advantages of up to 50% and promises safer use, as the system makes the batteries virtually impossible to ignite.

The demand for LFP in Europe is expected to grow by 20% per year until 2030. So far, however, this demand has been met almost exclusively by non-European suppliers. With their partnership, LANXESS and IBU-Tech aim to contribute to the establishment of an independent, robust value chain in the European LFP battery market, while at the same time reducing the carbon footprint of batteries.

IBU-tec, based in Weimar, Germany, is currently the only European manufacturer of LFP cathode material. LANXESS operates the world’s largest plant for the key raw material iron oxide in Krefeld-Uerdingen. The company has almost 100 years of experience in developing this material and can supply iron oxide particles for LFP batteries in the required size, purity, morphology and quantities.