che_march-2025 - 20

AGC Chemicals Americas
enhancing additives to help ensure
that charging stations meet critical
standards for flame retardancy, static
discharge and protection against
bacteria, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and
surface wear and tear. - Avient Corporation,
Avon Lake, Ohio
www.avient.com
Lanxess Americas
Solid sorbents for carbon
capture applications
The recently released Resifa™ Solesphere™
fine silica (photo) is designed
for reliable, efficient carbon
capture. These silica particles have a
unique microspherical shape and exceptional
pore volume, allowing the
advanced mesoporous silica grades
to deliver superior performance as
solid sorbents for carbon capture,
the company says. The solid silica
product is available in three versatile
forms - bare silica, silica pellets and
this company's proprietary aminetreated
silica pellets. A key feature of
Solesphere fine silica that maximizes
CO2-capture efficiency is the highly
porous structure, with pore volumes
of up to 2.0 ml/g, and pore diameters
of 50 nm, to effectively trap and retain
CO2 molecules. Also, the amines are
air-stable and heat-resistant, ensuring
thermal stability and reliable capture
efficiency. Other key features include
energy-efficient design and customizability.
The product is available in various
particle sizes and porosities to
meet specific carbon capture needs.
- AGC Chemicals Americas, Exton,
Pa.
www.agcchem.com
Asahi Kasei
Customized materials for
battery cathodes
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is becoming
increasingly popular as a
cathode active material, offering
a more sustainable alternative to
cobalt- and nickel-based cathodes.
Currently, LFP batteries are predominantly
produced in China, prompting
Western original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) to advocate for
the development of regional supply
chains to ensure market independence
and secure a local, sustainable
material supply. To help reduce this
reliance, this company is introducing
customized precursors for LFP
synthesis, including new Bayoxide®
iron oxide battery grades (photo) that
have recently earned the company
an ICIS Innovation Award in 2024.
20
These products serve as customized
raw materials for the synthesis of LFP
cathode material and are specifically
tailored to the requirements of LFP
manufacturers, enabling high battery
quality, performance and efficiency.
This company also plans to offer iron
phosphate as a precursor for LFP. It
is currently examining the possibility
of installing production capacities in
the existing plant setup in Europe. -
Lanxess Americas, Pittsburgh, Pa.
www.lanxess.com
Flame-retardant non-woven
fabric for EV battery safety
A new grade of Lastan™, a flameretardant
nonwoven fabric (photo),
has been launched. The material
is designed to enhance EV battery
safety with superior resistance to
flames and particle blasts. Lastan is
an alternative to conventional materials
for thermal runaway protection. It
can be utilized in top covers, busbar
protection sleeves and other applications
within the EV battery pack. Demand
is increasing for materials in EV
battery-cover applications that have
excellent resistance against flames
and particle blasts, as well as good
electrical insulation properties. While
mineral-based materials are generally
used as protection against thermal
runaway at present, such materials
tend to be heavy and brittle. Being
stiff, these materials are difficult to
adapt to complex shapes, making
processability an issue for automotive
OEMs. Lastan is a non-mineral,
flame-resistant fabric made by airbaking
a special acrylic fiber at 200-
300°C. It is characterized by high
flame resistance and good electrical
insulation, which are further improved
by a special coating process that
also augments abrasion resistance.
This allows the material to provide
effective protection against particle
bombardment from venting gas. In
addition to its high flame resistance,
Lastan is resistant to high-pressure
impact by particles 200-500 μm in
diameter. It also provides electrical insulating
capacity of up to 3.5 kV at a
thickness of 1 mm. The material also
features outstanding processability,
being highly flexible while maintaining
its performance characteristics
in sheets as thin as 0.8 mm. -Asahi
Kasei, Tokyo, Japan
www.asahi-kasei.com
■
Scott Jenkins
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
MARCH 2025
http://www.avient.com http://www.lanxess.com http://www.agcchem.com http://www.asahi-kasei.com http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
che_march-2025

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