Celgard, a subsidiary of Polypore International, entered into a multi-year joint development agreement with Morrow Batteries AS. Celgard will work with Morrow to develop, test, and commercialize next-generation dry-process battery separators that will be used in Morrow high-voltage battery cells with lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathode material for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications.
Celgard specializes in solvent-free, coated and uncoated, dry-process microporous membranes used as separators that are a major component of lithium-ion batteries.
The key to the strength of Celgard’s base film is its dry-process manufacturing capability. This solvent-free process consists of extrusion, lamination, annealing, stretching, and slitting and results in thermally, chemically, and physically stable membranes designed to match customer needs.
Celgard already offers a wide range of high-performance base films, including Monolayer Polypropylene (PP); Trilayer PP/Polyethylene(PE)/PP; and Co-extruded Monolayer or Multilayer Films.
While separator development activities are already underway between the two companies, commercial production will begin at Morrow’s battery cell Gigafactory at Eyde Energy Park in Arendal, Norway, in 2024.
Under the terms of the agreement, Morrow will exclusively use Celgard’s proprietary dry-process membrane separators, developed under the agreement, in high-voltage batteries produced at its Gigafactory. Morrow has committed to undisclosed annual purchase volumes.
Morrow Batteries will initially manufacture the current industry-leading battery technologies for mobility (NMC) and for stationary storage (LFP), but by the middle of this decade, will start to commercialize a new generation of battery technologies for the same markets but based on the high-voltage material LNMO.
The LNMO technology is a more sustainable solution that uses cheap manganese as a scaffold to make better use of the lithium and nickel inside it. This second generation of technology has branched into two product offerings—one which offers the highest practical single cell voltage in the world (>4.5V) and another which can supercharge heavy mobility (trains and ferries) and the long-life ESS markets.