Speciality materials solutions provider Trinseo has inked an MoU with London-based Ferroglobe, one of the world's leading suppliers of silicon metal, silicon-based and manganese-based specialty alloys, to jointly develop high-silicon anode material solutions for electric vehicle batteries.

With the EV market growing rapidly around the world, the need for more sustainable and energy-dense materials and the imminent supply shortage of graphite are fuelling the demand for efficient next-generation EV batteries. Trinso and Ferroglobe aim to meet this need by optimising the battery charging cycle through a new high-content silicon anode material solution that exceeds the performance of conventional batteries.

Andre Hugentobler, Head of Global New Business Development and Innovation for Trinso Latex Binders, said, “Trinso is a globally recognised industry leader in anode material binder solutions for lithium-ion batteries. We are investing in solutions that can meet the urgent needs of the electric vehicle battery market, and through this partnership, we combine Trinso's technology with active silicon material and binder, two key components required for high-cycle silicon anode materials, to create a powerful solution. We can accelerate the release,” he said.

Dr. Benoist Ollivier, Head of Technology Innovation at FerroGlobe, said, “Feroglobe is committed to positioning itself as the industry’s leading global supplier of high-purity silicon powder. Our partnership has become a stepping stone to accelerate innovation and drive improvement in battery performance for electric vehicles.”

Feroglobe states that its “proprietary purification technology provides up to 99.995% high purity silicon powder in micrometre and sub-micrometre sizes for batteries and other advanced technologies, actively participating in new clean technology and mobility markets.” Trinso has been servicing the automotive industry and designing high-performance binders for decades, backed by a differentiated portfolio of anode material binders, global manufacturing centres, and assets dedicated to research and application development.

Through this MoU, the two companies will invest additional resources in anode materials research and application development, fund third-party programs, collaborate with industry leaders, battery manufacturers and automotive OEMs, and develop anode materials technology. They aim to develop and commercialise operations with full-fledged joint development activities slated to begin at the end of this year.