Umicore to Add Manganese-Rich Technology to EV Battery Materials Portfolio

By Christian Moess Laursen

Umicore SA said Monday that it plans to add manganese-rich cathode active materials technology to its portfolio of battery materials for electric vehicles, with commercial production targeted in 2026.

The Brussels-based materials-technology company--which already produces cathodes that combine nickel, manganese and cobalt--said it has entered product-development programs with car and cell manufacturers for its new chemistry.

Manganese is a chemical element that can be used to stabilize the cathodes of certain lithium-ion batteries. Compared with lithium-iron-phosphate batteries--known as LFP--, manganese-rich--or HLM--battery materials offer better costs and recyclability, longer driving ranges, and more reliable monitoring with an equivalent safety profile, Umicore said.

Umicore said it expects to produce manganese-rich battery materials at its plants in South Korea and Poland, as well as at its planned facility in Canada.

Write to Christian Moess Laursen at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 13, 2023 05:32 ET (10:32 GMT)

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