Toyocolor Co., the colorants and functional materials arm of the specialty chemicals company Toyo Ink Group of Japan, has announced that the company’s Lioaccum conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions has been selected by the world's largest battery manufacturer CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited).

Toyocolor's battery materials are used in CATL’s next-generation high capacity li-ion batteries (LiB). Lioaccum CNT dispersions are scheduled for installation into mass-produced vehicles beginning 2024.

With governing bodies around the world tightening emission restrictions on gas-powered vehicles in an effort to achieve carbon neutrality, the percentage of EVs in the new vehicle market is expected to jump from 8% in 2022 to 30% in 2030. China’s EV market, one of the three largest automobile markets in the world, is broadly divided into the sub-markets of budget models for running short distances and high-end models that require longer cruising ranges. High-capacity LiBs are critical to extending cruising range for high-end vehicles.

The Lioaccum dispersion adopted by CATL is a key material that contributes to the expanded capacity and energy density of LiBs through the adoption of highly conductive CNTs. While the stable distribution of high-performance carbon nanotubes was once considered difficult to accomplish, Toyocolor succeeded in applying its proprietary dispersion technology to overcome technical hurdles and achieve highly stable CNT dispersions of high quality.

In line with CATL’s supply needs, the Toyo Ink Group will be expanding the capacity of its dispersion production base, Zhuhai Toyocolor Co., Ltd., in Guangdong, China. Lioaccum dispersions manufactured here are expected to be incorporated into mass-produced vehicles beginning 2024.