Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) intends to work with Japanese companies to develop a solid-state lithium-ion battery (LiB) within the next three years. The institute plans to develop this secondary battery to have twice the energy density of conventional LiBs, which would open up opportunities for a wide range of new applications in electric...
EV
ZF to Bolster Shanghai R&D Facility, Extend Tongji University Tie-Up
German automotive parts manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG has announced plans to enhance its R&D facility in China. ZF will first undertake phased investment in its existing R&D center in Shanghai through to 2020. The firm aims to increase the workforce to 1,000 employees and install test facilities to meet automotive electrification needs, namely those for...
Toray to Build New LiB Separator Factory in Europe
Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) plans to triple its current production capacity of separator membranes for secondary lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) to about 2 billion square meters, building a new factory in Europe by 2020. The production expansion comes in anticipation of rapidly intensifying electric vehicle (EV) demand, and is expected to require an investment of 120...
Sumitomo Chemical Works on New Liquid Crystal Polymer for High-Frequency Devices
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is targeting an early market launch for a new liquid crystal polymer (LCP) suited to high-frequency devices. Suppressing the dielectric dissipation factor to a level of 0.001, the LCP promises to significantly reduce transmission loss. Sumitomo Chemical plans to supply the LCP in the form of a compound for electrical...
China Seeks to Become Powerhouse for Smart Cars – Part 1
The Chinese market is in fervor at present over next-generation car development. Industry, academia and government are stepping up in unison to bring into reality smart cars, including electric and other eco-friendly vehicles, autonomous driving and the internet-connected car. So how should chemical and materials companies approach these trends? We decided to follow the action...
Mitsui Chemicals Aims to Boost UHMW-PE Production to Meet LiB Separator Demand
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) plans to ramp up production of its ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) Hi-Zex Million. Demand for the material’s use in lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) separators for electric vehicles (EVs) is surging. Consequently, the existing plant at the firm’s Iwakuni-Ohtake Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture is operating close to capacity. As well as...
Needle Coke Prices Shoot up Amid Surging Chinese Demand
Supply for needle coke is growing tight. This comes amid healthy demand in China for the product as an anode material for batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and the country’s tighter clampdown on illegal iron and steel production. The result has been overseas market conditions trending upward, with needle coke prices rising by over 50...
Teijin to Supply Polycarbonate Resin for GLM Electric Car Windshield
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) has announced that its polycarbonate (PC) resin has been selected for use in the pillarless front windshield of the Tommykaira ZZ, a sports electric vehicle (EV) manufactured by GLM Co. Ltd., a Kyoto University-spawned automaker. This represents the world’s first production model road car windshield to be made of resin. Teijin uses...
Key to the Car of Tomorrow: V2X – Part 2
When it comes to the connected car and other next-generation automobiles, attention has mostly focused on fuel and driving innovations. Yet improving comfort is also an important factor. New technologies are coming in light of a variety of objectives, such as drivability and ride quality. In addition to air conditioning and lighting, there is growing...
LiB Materials Hold Key to EV Market Prospects – Part 2
China is getting on the high-capacity lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) bandwagon as the country’s government pushes to popularize EVs. This shift makes for business opportunities for Japanese manufacturers. One executive at a Japanese maker of separators identified LiBs using ternary cathodes as one such opportunity. Why would the use of these components prove beneficial to...
LiB Materials Hold Key to EV Market Prospects – Part 1
Automakers around the world are stepping up their efforts to develop electric vehicles (EVs). In Europe, manufacturers have released plans to have EVs account for roughly 25 percent of total automobile sales by 2025. In the U.S., Tesla Inc. has exceeded General Motors Co. in terms of market value. Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) is...
Targeting EV Market, Asahi Kasei Microdevices Accelerates Development of High-Performance Current Sensors
Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp. has accelerated its development of electric current sensors for engine control in electric vehicles (EVs) and other eco-friendly cars. Despite having just launched a new product at the end of 2016 that has a maximum measured electric current of 40 amperes, an effective current of 20 amperes and a drive voltage...
Inabata Looks to Expand Hydrogen Energy Business
Inabata & Co. Ltd. (TYO:8098) will be increasing its business efforts with hydrogen energy-related products, recommending to customers hydrogen generation equipment developed by Odasco-Heliocentris Europe GmbH in Germany and fuel cell systems and stacks made by PowerCell AB of Sweden. The company will offer the use of such technology for zero energy home (ZEH) and...
Furukawa Electric Moves Closer to Market With CNT Wire
Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. (TYO:5801) is advancing toward commercialization of its carbon nanotube (CNT) wire as an electric cable material. The company recently proved that its CNT coil can be used in motors. Anticipating future use of the technology in electric vehicle (EV) race cars, Furukawa Electric is working to establish integrated production techniques that...
Asahi Kasei Develops Series of Sensors for Next-Generation Vehicles
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has developed a detection sensor for fogging in electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) glass and a biosensor that measures the driver’s pulse wave. The company will step up marketing efforts targeting automobile manufacturers and others in order to quickly commercialize them through collaborative validation tests. The fogging...
Mitsubishi Chemical to Supply Europe With Battery Electrolytes From US Plant
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. is increasing its efforts to supply components of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), an area of the automotive industry in which strong growth is anticipated. The is setting out to supply European manufacturers with products made at its battery electrolyte plant in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is unusual for battery electrolytes to...
Teijin looks to Enter Market for Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery Separators
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) plans to roll out separators for automotive lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs). The new separators will most likely be utilized by LiBs found in plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) that are expected to hit the market around 2020. Teijin will begin large-scale sample shipments starting in fiscal 2017 and will ramp up production capacity...
Global Market for Lithium Carbonate Continues to Decline
The international market for lithium carbonate continues to sink as an increasing number electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturers in China are hesitant to purchase the material. This comes on account of the government, which is pursuing a policy for EV popularization, moving to restrict company eligibility for subsidies. The result of battery manufacturers’s bearish activity...
Denka Targets 100 Billion Yen for Automotive Business in 2025
Denka Co Ltd. (TYO:4061) is targeting sales of automotive products to increase to 100 billion yen ($935.59 million) in 2025. The plan is to capture demand for heat-dissipating materials for electrical components, lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) components and new lightweight materials. This comes amid two new trends in the automotive market: the spread of electric...
Sumitomo Chemical Aims to Grow LiB Cathode Materials Into 10 Billion Yen Business
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is poised to grow its cathode material for lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs) into a 10 billion yen ($95.52 million) business by 2020. The company aims to have the newly developed, high-capacity cathode material, which can extend the range of electric vehicles, installed in new cars sold in 2019 and 2020....
