Battery manufacturers are striving to increase capacity, reduce charging time and ensure an adequate supply of raw materials. BASF developed its new Licity range of binders in order to meet these needs.

Depending on their requirements, customers can choose a series with a certain application focus, such as binders suitable for pure graphite or silicon-containing anodes. The company claims that all Licity binders enable higher capacities, more charge/discharge cycles and reduced charging times. Additionally, BASF designed Licity binders to enhance performance in low-temperature environments, provide superior adhesion to collector foil, be compatible with a broad range of active materials, and be customizable to meet customers’ needs.

Licity binders are water-borne, carboxylated styrene-butadiene copolymers with very low VOC content. BASF says CO₂ emissions can be reduced when Licity products are manufactured according to the biomass balance approach. In this binder version, biomass is fed into BASF’s production process and allocated to the binder.

“Strong and capable batteries pave the way for broader dissemination of EVs,” said VP Christoph Hansen. “Backed by our extensive expertise in binders gained through decades of research and development for numerous applications in the automotive and transportation sectors, we are pleased to be able to offer our customers a new binder technology that pushes the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries.”

Source: BASF