Cabot Launches New EMEA Technical Center to Strengthen Battery Material Development and Collaboration with European Partners

According to eeNews, the new EMEA Technology Center will allow Cabot to enhance its battery materials development capabilities and continue to strengthen its technology collaboration with other participants in the battery industry. The center will also feature advanced testing equipment to provide technical application capabilities for the global battery industry. The EMEA Technology Center is expected to begin operating in April 2023 and plans to complete expansion in 2024.

The center will support the development of Cabot's full range of Conductive Carbon Additive (CCA) products, including conductive carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and carbon nanostructures (CNS), as well as mixtures and dispersions. CCA plays a crucial role in lithium-ion battery chemistry and provides a pathway for electrons to move inside the anode and cathode, enabling charging and discharging. The center will also support other Cabot product lines that serve the battery market, including gas-phase alumina for separators and cathode coatings and aerogels for thermal management.

"We have established manufacturing and commercial capabilities for Conductive Carbon Additives (CCA) in Europe, and the new EMEA Technology Center will enable us to collaborate more closely with customers and provide faster development time and extensive testing and experimentation in Europe," said Shen Yi, Vice President and General Manager of Cabot's Battery Materials business. "This area represents an attractive opportunity to expand our battery development capabilities to support the tremendous growth of battery and electric vehicle production across Europe while driving closer partnerships with battery manufacturers and automakers. We expect battery production to grow at an annual rate of around 50% over the next four years, and our new EMEA Technology Center is well-positioned to support this growth and help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles."

"The new lab is located near several of the most important battery research institutions, local universities, and other technology companies in Europe, providing an excellent place to establish a collaborative ecosystem and attract talented scientists and engineers," said Patricia Hubbard, Senior Engineer and Chief Technology Officer. "We have a strong culture of innovation and collaboration that is driven by our focus on customer success and developing innovative solutions to solve problems. This new facility will enable us to better serve our customers and provide them with cutting-edge technology and the expertise of our talented team of engineers and scientists. With this center, we can better meet the unique requirements of battery and electric vehicle customers in a range of critical battery applications."