Arkema has officially inaugurated its state-of-the-art Battery Dry Coating Laboratory at the Cerdato Research Center in Normandy, France.

This new facility strengthens Arkema’s global network of R&D laboratories dedicated to the battery industry and reflects the company’s strategic commitment to advancing sustainable, high-performance solutions.

The laboratory is fully dedicated to developing and refining the dry coating process for battery electrodes—an innovative approach that represents a significant breakthrough in electrode manufacturing.

By eliminating the need for solvent evaporation, the dry coating method reduces energy consumption, lowers the carbon footprint of battery production, and simplifies manufacturing steps, making it a more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional wet coating techniques.

Equipped with two complementary technologies, the laboratory enables precise and versatile electrode fabrication. Direct calendering ensures uniform electrode layers with controlled thickness, while electrodeposition allows advanced material layering and customization, offering greater flexibility in design and performance optimization.

“This new laboratory embodies the spirit of innovation and our commitment to supporting the energy transition,” said Anne Christmann, Director of the Cerdato Research Center at Arkema. “Its establishment builds on our longstanding expertise in powder processing, which plays a vital role in the development of more sustainable processes. Through dry coating technologies, we are proud to contribute to more efficient and environmentally responsible battery production, and to see our teams and partners united around this shared ambition.”

Arkema is driving innovation in this field with a broad portfolio of advanced materials suited to dry coating applications, including Kynar PVDF for excellent adhesion and electrochemical performance, Incellion acrylic polymers and monomers for flexibility and processability, and polyamides for mechanical strength and thermal stability.