Daikin to begin producing Li-ion electrolytes

Japan-based Daikin Industries Ltd. will soon start producing electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, initially at its Daikin America plant in Alabama, and begin selling them in January.

Daikin says its product can be charged at higher voltages than conventional electrolytes, helping to lift battery capacity by 20%. And because the electrolytes cannot be easily degraded, the battery will last longer, according to the company.

The Alabama plant will have an annual production capacity of around 2,000 tons. According to the Nikkei, Daikin plans to build factories in Japan, China and elsewhere, with output ramping up to 10,000 tons by fiscal 2015.

Spurred by the popularity of electric cars and other alternative vehicles, the firm predicts that demand for lithium ion battery electrolytes will surge from 30,000 tons at present to 50,000 to 100,000 tons in fiscal 2015. That year, it is targeting electrolyte sales of 15 billion yen and a global market share of at least 10%.

Source: Nikkei