Porous Power Technologies and Japan-based Chisso Corp have entered into a cooperate agreement to produce new variants of the SYMMETRIX battery separators for use in automotive batteries.
The companies said that SYMMETRIX, which looks like a roll of thin medical tape, increases the life and high-power capacity of lithium-ion batteries; and minimises waste heat in batteries, effectively increasing a cell's capacity and allowing it to operate at safer temperatures with fewer external cooling requirements.
In addition, the SYMMETRIX enables faster battery charging with less heat build-up; and improves battery function in low temperature operating environments.
Yozo Shimomura, general manager of Precise Fabricated Products Department at Chisso, said: Our companies share a mutual goal of dramatically improving the safety, durability, performance and price of lithium-ion batteries for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.
Tim Feaver, CEO of Porous Power, said: Automotive battery manufacturers want a safer alternative to traditional polyolefin separators, which can melt and cause thermal runaway, and potentially fire, at relatively low temperatures.
"Undesirable voltage and temperature fluctuations occur much less frequently in cells using SYMMETRIX separators, even under conditions of abusive overcharge and overheating.
