Huntsman Helps Make Li-ion Batteries More Reliable

ULTRAPURE^® carbonates used in Li-ion batteries

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are helping curb harmful emissions by playing an essential part in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Huntsman helps manufacturers make more efficient and reliable Li-ion batteries by supplying high-quality ethylene carbonate, which acts as the ideal conduit between the battery’s electrodes. Our ULTRAPURE^® carbonates carry the charge from one electrode to the other to store and later supply energy and, because our ULTRAPURE^® carbonates are made to exacting standards, they help create a battery that performs reliably over many years.

When it comes to renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, power is often generated at times when energy consumption is low. Rather than lose what has been generated, Li-ion batteries allow for the storage of excess power until it is needed on the power grid – making renewable energy sources more efficient and cost effective. On the other end of the power grid, the Li-ion battery in a plug-in hybrid or electric car stores energy until it is needed to go for a drive, essentially untethering the car from a power-generating source.

To be of use in either of these applications, Li-ion batteries need to be reliable over long lifecycles. Charging and recharging over several years takes its toll, but one way to ensure sustained performance is to use high-quality materials in the construction of the battery. Huntsman’s ULTRAPURE^® ethylene carbonate, used as the electrolyte solvent in Li-ion batteries, meets the highest standards in the industry today. We are one of the few manufacturers in the world capable of meeting these standards, and the only one that does so in North America.

We are focused on making sustainable products sustainably. We call it product stewardship, and part of product stewardship is ensuring we have enough high-quality product to supply the needs of our customers, now and in the future. When it comes to Li-ion batteries, we have invested in increasing our production capacity of ULTRAPURE^® carbonates to meet the fast-growing needs of battery manufacturers for the foreseeable future.

Another part of product stewardship is making products in ways that reduce the impact on people and the environment. Aside from helping curb emissions from power-generation and vehicle exhaust, our ULTRAPURE^® carbonates are made using CO₂ that would otherwise be in the atmosphere. Huntsman operations trap CO₂ created by other industrial processes and use it in the manufacture of ULTRAPURE^® carbonates. For every ton of ULTRAPURE^® ethylene carbonate we produce, 1,000 pounds of it are sequestered CO₂ that would otherwise have been released.

At Huntsman, we believe that our responsibility to sustainable practices does not end when our products ship. We are committed to enriching lives through innovation and focusing on the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.