Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany) has developed new high-quality iron oxides for use in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and received the prestigious ICIS Innovation Award 2024. The award in the category “Best Product Innovation from a Large Company” recognizes LANXESS’ outstanding contribution to the development of value chains for LFP in the Western regions.
LFP batteries are a safe and cost-effective type of battery with high cycle and thermal stability. They are mainly used for electric cars and stationary energy storage systems. LANXESS offers high-quality iron-oxide battery grades under the brand name Bayoxide, which serve as customized raw materials for the synthesis of the cathode material LFP. These products are specifically tailored to the requirements of LFP manufacturers and enable high battery quality, performance and efficiency.
“This award confirms our innovative strength in the field of sustainable battery technology. With our Bayoxide battery grades, we are making a significant contribution to the electrification of mobility and the energy transition,” says Michael Ertl, head of the LANXESS Inorganic Pigments business unit. “Our goal is to offer our customers in Europe and North America a competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to the dominant Asian supply chains for LFP.”
LANXESS also plans to offer iron phosphate as a precursor for LFP. So far, there is hardly sufficient capacity in Europe for iron phosphate that can be used for the production of LFP. The company is currently examining the possibility of installing its own production capacities in the existing plant setup. LANXESS can draw on proven facilities at its German site, making it the only major producer in Europe and one of the few worldwide.
A feasibility study has shown that the technology is ready for large-scale production and offers an economical and sustainable alternative to the LFP production process currently used in China. The Chinese process is based on the use of iron sulfate and produces wastewater with a high salt content.
The LANXESS process, on the other hand, extracts the iron phosphate directly from iron and phosphoric acid. As a result, neither climate-damaging emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides nor wastewater with high salt loads are generated.
Automotive batteries with LFP cathodes are on the rise worldwide. Vehicle manufacturers are equipping more and more of their high-volume models with them. Compared to lithium-ion technology with cathodes based on nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) or nickel, cobalt and aluminum (NCA), LFP batteries are significantly more cost-effective in terms of the raw materials used and production. There is no need to mine expensive and rare heavy metals for their cells. This has a significant impact on vehicle costs, as the cathode material accounts for over 60 percent of the cell cost. LFP battery technology is also characterized by a high number of charging cycles and a long service life. At the same time, the batteries are thermally more stable and safer.
With its products, chemical know-how and decades of experience, LANXESS has all the prerequisites to play a leading role in the development of Western LFP value chains. Unlike start-ups or smaller companies, the company can utilize a chemical and logistical infrastructure that enables it to produce raw materials for cathode materials on an industrial scale with assured quality and very high sustainability standards.