Global specialty minerals company ICL (TASE: ICL: NYSE: ICL) has announced that it is collaborating with the Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center (CEEC) of Columbia University, to improve battery safety and energy density and is exploring multiscale modeling across lithium iron phosphate, lithium metal and zinc-bromine batteries.
Co-director of CEEC and the Stanley-Thompson Associate Professor of Chemical Metallurgy at Columbia University Dan Steingart said, "This new project significantly expands our relationship and allows us to jointly explore strategies to address energy storage and conversion via next generation batteries, by leveraging ICL’s core strengths, including LFP technology."
ICL said that it considers strong demand for EV and energy storage as a significant source of potential growth for its phosphate and bromine-based specialty products, in both the short and long-term. The company is exploring partnerships with customers who are focused on expanding the use of LFP, and other specialty technology, in Europe and the US.
ICL dsaid that it is also now able to offer a complete range of mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) solutions from its YPH joint venture plant in China. As YPH controls the entire phosphate value chain, from the mine to the product, it is able to provide both flexibility and cost effectiveness, while also meeting unique customer specifications. ICL is committed to creating additional capacity to meet rapidly increasing customer demand for specialty MAP products, including for the production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries destined for electric vehicles and other energy storage.
Over the past several years, ICL added, Chinese producers have been leading in the LFP battery space, which currently accounts for approximately 23% of the global Li-ion battery market.
ICL EVP and chief innovation and technology officer Anantha Desikan said, "It’s no surprise LFP is one of the fastest growing sectors of the battery industry, as this technology offers superior safety at a lower cost and with a longer life. LFP also reduces exposure to conflict metals, which aligns with our mission to transform from a company that extracts minerals to a company that uses its minerals to create sustainable solutions for humanity."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 30, 2021
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