Asahi Kasei Unveils Groundbreaking Electrolyte for Enhanced Lithium-Ion Battery Performance

The electrolyte Asahi Kasei, a Japan-based global leader in chemistries of advanced materials, has created a revolutionary acetonitrile (AcN) electrolyte that delivers immense development for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This will come with a significant increase in energy density at high temperatures, even greater durability at high temperatures, and superior power output at low temperatures, with a reduction in both the size and battery cost. This innovation is likely to have a ‘cascading effect’ on industries dependent on lithium-ion technology, such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

Ashi Kasei’s research team optimized a proprietary formulation of lithium salts, solvents, and additives. Acetonitrile is of significant ionic conductivity—an important feature for enhancing performance in batteries. This electrolyte enables LIBs to perform better over a broader temperature range than non-electrolyte-conditioned cells; common degradations include those experienced in low-temperature operations and high-temperature-related acceleration of aging. This innovation makes the new electrolyte particularly relevant for applications where temperature stability and long battery life are critical.

This is discussed in a paper presented on October 3, 2024, at the Battery Show, a leading industry event for anyone working in the battery technology field. The paper showed how the AcN-based electrolyte can be used to optimize anode and cathode coating thicknesses in the design of batteries, leading to the minimization of winding length. This avoids losses in costs due to reduced usage of current collectors and dead space within cells.

What is more, compatibility with LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) technology—a safe and cost-effective option—favors this electrolyte, especially in markets like India with a high sensitivity of the market to costs. Higher energy density for the new electrolyte seems to get the performance of LFP technology closer to expensive counterparts.

Asahi Kasei aims to start commercialization of the AcN-based electrolyte by 2025. This is predicted to impact the global battery market that holds the rapidly growing electric vehicles and energy storage sectors significantly. It may revolutionize future solutions related to energy storage by achieving improved performances of batteries at lower cost.

Even from the early times of its development, challenges associated with lithium-ion batteries when operated outside of the optimal temperature range are reported at 10 to 45 °C. Low temperatures reduce the capacity and power of a battery, while its degradation is accelerated at higher temperatures, thus advancing the premature aging of the battery. Thus, in the wider application of electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems, the stable performance of batteries within a wide range of temperatures is quite important. The electrolyte developed by Asahi Kasei addresses these issues, which would not at all reduce the efficiency and durability of the battery, irrespective of the environment.

Years of research went into developing this high-performance electrolyte. Asahi Kasei started researching acetonitrile in 2010 as a promising raw material for future electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. With this solvent, Asahi Kasei has succeeded in reducing the dimensions of battery packs by improving ionic conductivity without impairing or even enhancing their power. Thus, energy density increases while the cost of production goes down, making the technology more available to producers and end-users.

Asahi Kasei, founded in 1922, has been striving for technological innovation for decades. The firm has over 48,000 employees across the globe and runs its business under three business sectors: material, homes, and health care. Environmental Solutions, Mobility & Industrial, and Life Innovation have also been under the Material sector of the company, which has contributed to the growth of the firm. Asahi Kasei’s work towards sustainability and the solution to global challenges has led it to focus on the race in the battery technology area. 

The outcome will be that Asahi Kasei’s new electrolyte, based on AcN, should have a more effective impression in the LIB industry regarding performance, longer durability, and lower costs. With its planned date for commercialization set in 2025, this marks an important step forward toward more sustainable and energy-efficient improvements for the future.

Source: PTI

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