In the Netherlands, Nouryon has begun sales of AkuPure, a carboxymethyl cellulose polymer for use in lithium ion batteries. AkuPure improves the electrode coating process to make the battery retain and deliver power more effectively.
“Customers in this market require ultrapure CMC – impurities can interfere with the performance of the battery or with production efficiency,” says Geert-Jan Beijering, Product Director at Nouryon. “AkuPure has a number of properties key to the battery production process, such as the speed at which it dissolves and its low level of insolubles. The possibility to frequently charge and discharge a battery without losing performance under various temperature conditions is what matters most to our customers in this segment.”
The launch further expands Nouryon’s applications for CMC, a polymer derived from cellulose sources such as wood and cotton. Other uses for CMC include thickeners, binders, and rheology modifiers. Nouryon recently announced plans to acquire the CMC business of J.M. Huber Corporation. The deal will significantly broaden its portfolio of CMC products.