Battery separator company Entek announced a multi-year agreement with battery cell producer Kore Power to supply lithium separators for use in NMC and LFP battery cells. The separators will be made at Entek’s new Indiana facility, which is due to come online in 2025.
Under the terms of the agreement, made known on Tuesday, Entek will supply enough separators for Kore Power’s 7 GWh annual capacity gigafactory, known as Koreplex.
It said the deal will allow for a second phase which could more than double that supply. The agreement will run until at least 2031. Financial details were not disclosed.
Entek’s CEO, Larry Keith, said: “We are excited that the lithium-ion separators that come out of our Indiana facility will be used in Kore batteries for American vehicles and energy storage products.”
Kore Power plans to produce batteries under both NMC and LFP chemistries.
Entek broke ground on its new factory in Terre Haute, Indiana, last week. The 1.4 million sq ft plant will produce lithium-ion battery components for the growing electric vehicle industry. Entek said it represents its single largest investment to date, $1.5 billion. It is set to produce up to 1.4 billion sq m of battery separators per year.
At last week’s Asian Battery Conference in Cambodia, Entek’s Chief Technology Officer Rick Pekala presented a new solvent-free separator for use in lead-acid batteries. It has an exceptionally high puncture strength and can be stretched to an ultra-thin 100μm.
He said understanding the official regulations in the EU and UK on use of solvents “requires a doctoral thesis”.
Electrochemical testing shows no detrimental effect on the lead-acid battery’s performance, he added. Prototype ribbed solvent-free BOPP separators were produced by extruding polymeric strands onto flat BOPP films. “We’ve got to find a way to get more porosity in these separators,” he said.
He added that he can imagine partnering with a battery manufacturer to develop the separator.
