New Syensqo technology for current and future battery generations

New battery chemistry solutions are needed at scale to support the transition to a carbon neutral automotive industry.

The switch to renewable energy and electrification of vehicles means that the demand for batteries has reached unprecedented levels – and will continue to grow exponentially.

One of the companies which has adopted a multi-pronged approach to developing the required technology is Syensqo, previously part of Solvay group.

In addition to its dedicated multidisciplinary research and development team, Syensqo invests in early-stage startups working on sustainable advanced materials with the potential to make a positive difference.

Syensqo also partners with key institutes and universities worldwide.

Automotive Industries (AI) interviewed Francescantonio Azzariti, Head of Commercial for the Battery Materials Platform, and Alessandro Chiovato, Head of Business Development for the Battery Materials Platform at Syensqo, at the Battery Show Europe 2024, to find out more.

AI: How is Syensqo addressing next-generation battery challenges?

Chiovato: Syensqo utilizes a wide range of technologies to develop and industrialize new materials addressing critical pain points and enabling our customers, the battery makers, to meet the needs of end users.

We enable our customers to produce batteries with a longer range, enhanced safety, and reduced cost – for both current and fut

ure generations of batteries.

Our main focus is on cathode binders and electrolyte ingredients.

Our binder technology leverages our extensive experience in fluoropolymers, which is one of our core competencies.

We are expanding our industrial capabilities, and we introduce new grades, solidifying our position as a worldwide leader.

Our portfolio of new fluorinated ingredients delivers outstanding performance in electrolytes, providing solutions that enable batteries to operate at higher voltages, across a wider temperature, from lower to higher temperatures.

Operating at higher voltage increases energy density, allowing OEMs to produce batteries with a longer range. Lower temperature performance is crucial for EV applications, while higher temperature stability enables fast charging.

The current industry trend and the upcoming use of high manganese cathodes has led to a need for high voltage-resistant solvents for electrolytes. In response, Syensqo has developed a new solvent, called Energain® SA076, resistant up to 4.9 volts. Energain® facilitates the stabilization of high-voltage systems with a variety of cathodes, including LCO, Ni-rich NCM, and LMNO.

Syensqo is industrializing LiFSI conductive salt to enhance our current battery generation electrolyte ingredient offerings.

We have also developed a technology that allows for the production of cathodes without the use of solvents, which provides significant advantages in terms of capital investment and safety, as the current NMP solvent is carcinogenic.

Looking further into the future, we are advancing the next generation of all solid-state batteries, leveraging our experience in inorganic chemistry.

One of the most promising innovations, according to OEMs, is inorganic sulfide-based solid-state batteries. We have invested in a pilot plant, unique in Europe, that allows us t

o prototype large samples of sulfidic inorganic electrolytes.

This enables us to co-develop this new technology with our customers, marking a long-term revolution in battery technology.

AI: Are you developing materials for both liquid and solid-state batteries?

Chiovato: Yes. The market will continue to see significant segmentation, with liquid electrolyte technology remaining prevalent for decades.

Existing gigafactories will not be phased out; they will continue their production based on the best available liquid technology.

We anticipate further segmentation between high-performance and more affordable batteries. Solid-state technology is expected to be commercialized in the 2030s, so no major technological shifts should be expected before then.

Syensqo is preparing to be a market maker in inorganic sulfides to support the next generation of gigafactories for solid-state batteries.

AI: In April 2024 you broke ground on your future battery-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) facility in Augusta. How significant is the new facility for Syensqo’s global electrification strategy?

Azzariti: This is a significant milestone in our electrification strategy.

The United States is expected to be a fast-growing market over the next five to fifteen years.

All our major global customers in the US are investing in new capacity and are already purchasing our materials, which are currently shipped from France.

For us, it is crucial to have a site in the US that uses the same technology as our plants in France and produces identical grades. At full capacity, the plant will produce enough PVDF for over five million EV batteries per year, covering 45% of the projected PVDF demand in 2030.

Our global customers need a reliable supplier capable of delivering across the different continents.

The Augusta plant is fully integrated into the upstream supply chain to secure raw materials, a key requirement from our customers who want to avoid raw material shortages, like the PVDF shortage in 2022.

Being a PVDF upstream integrated supplier in the US will allow Syensqo to fully comply with IRA requirements.

AI: The rapid growth of electric and hybrid vehicles is driving record demand for PVDF. How do you meet the needs of customers worldwide?

Azzariti: We expect to double the capacity of our plant in France by the beginning of next year to 35 Kilotons, making it the largest suspension PVDF factory in the world.

This increased capacity will support all our European customers and begin supplying PVDF to the US as well.

Additionally, we have PVDF capacity in China at a plant we built in 2017, which we have since doubled in size. This site uses the same technology as our France plant and primarily supplies the Asian market.

The Augusta plant is expected to come online in 2027. At that point, we will then be able to produce the same grade of PVDF using identical technology at three different locations, ensuring a reliable supply for our customers.

From these three plants, we will be able to ship anywhere in the world.

Syensqo will be the only company able to provide suspension PVDF materials from three different regions.

AI: What are the benefits / advantages of the new grade launched at the Battery Show Europe?

Chiovato: There is a growing need for our tailor-made solutions for the various battery technologies being used by OEMs.

Solef® ZA830 PVDF enables higher production speeds with lower processing costs.

It is compatible with a wide range of active battery materials and helps to increase battery cycle life and energy density.

Solef® ZA830 is specifically designed for batteries made with high nickel cathode active materials, offering unprecedented cathode adhesion and processability. It is commercially available worldwide.

This grade improves surface quality and reduces the amount of PVDF required for manufacturing, providing cost saving for customers and allowing for increased energy density.

AI: How is Syensqo leveraging its expertise and experience in battery recycling to enable a circular economy for lithium-ion batteries?

Chiovato: Recycling is a very complex matter that requires close collaboration with our customers and their end users.

Everyone in the value chain needs to be actively involved to ensure we source the end-of-life batteries, transport them, shred them, and then extract the minerals.

Once we receive the black mass from our upstream partners, Syensqo excels in lithium recycling, by leveraging our range of products, already used in the mining industry to sele

ctively extract lithium.

Several potential partners are working with us to establish Syensqo as a key player in lithium recycling.

This will enable us to supply recycled battery-grade lithium to the battery industry and integrate it back into our production processes.

Our products, such as solid-state electrolytes and conductive salts like lithium FSI, require a reliable lithium source.

AI: What’s next for Syensqo?

Azzariti: We will continue to develop sustainable technology to address the environmental challenges facing our planet. Syensqo is committed to creating new materials for current and next-generation batteries, providing environmentally responsible solutions, and promoting a circular economy.  

We will keep investing in research and development to support global trends in electrification, lightweighting, advanced connectivity, resource efficiency, sustainable sourcing, and enhancing quality of life.